New Yorkers head into Tuesday’s election with decisions to make about the governor’s office, Congress and local government, as new national polling shows unusually high voter engagement and deep concern about the economy and health care.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 3, according to the New York State Board of Elections. Early voting ended Sunday.
Across the Finger Lakes, ballots include congressional and state legislative contests alongside races for sheriff, judge, town supervisor and other local offices. Readers can find candidate information, voting resources and election-night returns through FingerLakes1.com’s 2026 Election Center.
Two Gallup reports released Oct. 29 help explain the national mood surrounding those decisions. They show an electorate paying close attention, with economic pressures and health care leading voters’ priorities.
The findings are national, rather than New York-specific, and do not predict the outcome of individual races. They offer a backdrop for an election that will determine who makes decisions in Washington, Albany and communities throughout the region.
Voters are paying unusually close attention
In Gallup’s report on voter engagement, 56% of U.S. adults said they had given substantial thought to the congressional election — the highest reading the organization has recorded at this point in a midterm campaign.
That figure is close to previous peaks in 2010, when it reached 55%, and 2018, when it was 54%.
Among registered voters, 56% said they were more enthusiastic about voting than usual. Only 2018, at 69%, produced a higher midterm reading.
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents reported greater enthusiasm than Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 58% to 48%. But enthusiasm is not a vote count. Gallup’s historical comparisons show that partisan advantages in motivation have sometimes preceded gains in Congress, while other elections have produced more complicated results.
Attention also varied sharply by age. Among adults 65 and older, 73% reported giving substantial thought to the election, compared with 32% of adults ages 18 to 29.
For New York’s candidates, the remaining question is how that attention translates into participation among voters who have not already cast ballots.
Economy and health care lead the issue list
Gallup’s companion report on election priorities found that half of registered voters considered the economy extremely important to their congressional vote. An equal share said the same about health care.
The situation in Iran followed at 47%. Income and wealth distribution registered 44%, gas prices 42%, immigration 40% and abortion 38%.
Those findings concern the importance voters attach to issues, rather than which party they trust to address them.
The distinctions matter in New York, where voters are choosing both federal representatives and state officials. Congressional elections affect federal spending and national policy, while the governor and Legislature shape the state budget, taxes and public services.
Economic concerns have also surfaced directly in the governor’s race. Republican Bruce Blakeman signed a no-tax-increase pledge and challenged Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to do the same.
Gallup found substantial differences in issue intensity between the parties. Health care was extremely important to 68% of Democratic voters, compared with 34% of Republicans. Income and wealth distribution produced another large divide, 65% to 22%.
Republicans placed their highest importance on immigration and crime, at 44% and 43%, respectively. Independents ranked the economy, health care and Iran highest.
The survey also included construction of artificial intelligence data centers for the first time in its midterm issue list. Thirty percent rated the issue extremely important. That measures concern about the subject, not support for or opposition to a particular project.
Both reports draw on Gallup interviews conducted Oct. 1-19.
Statewide and congressional contests reach across the region
New York’s certified statewide ballot includes three major contests.
Hochul and running mate Adrienne Adams face Blakeman and Todd Hood for governor and lieutenant governor. Democratic Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli faces Republican Joseph Hernandez, while Democratic Attorney General Letitia James faces Republican Saritha Komatireddy.
Four congressional races affect the seven counties covered in FingerLakes1.com’s regional election guide:
- In the 22nd District, Democrat John Mannion faces Republican Kailee Buller.
- In the 23rd District, Democrat Aaron Gies faces Republican Nicholas Langworthy.
- In the 24th District, Democrat Alissa Ellman faces Republican Claudia Tenney.
- In the 25th District, Democrat Joseph Morelle faces Republican Virginia McIntyre.
The 24th District includes all of Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties and portions of Cayuga, Ontario, Schuyler and Steuben counties. Other parts of the region fall within the neighboring congressional districts.
State Senate contests listed in the Election Center include Democrat Rachel May against Republican Richard McCarron Jr. in the 48th District; Democrat Michael Mills against Republican Pamela Helming in the 54th; and Democrat James Bobreski against Republican Thomas O’Mara in the 58th.
Local contests include Kristin Fleming against Michael Passalacqua for Seneca County sheriff, Ben Susman against Christopher Valdina for Cayuga County Court judge, and Julio Chavez Olivera against Jeffrey Trickler for Ontario County treasurer.
An individual voter’s ballot depends on their address. County sample ballots provide the complete list of applicable offices, candidates and any propositions.
What voters need to know before Tuesday
Gallup found that 43% of registered voters nationwide intended to vote before Election Day, including 5% who had already voted when interviewed. Those figures describe voting plans during the survey period, rather than completed turnout in New York.
For residents still planning to vote in person, the state’s voter lookup service provides registration information, election districts and polling locations. An Election Day polling place may differ from an early voting location.
The registration deadline for this election was Oct. 24. Monday, Nov. 2, is the final day to apply in person for an absentee or early-mail ballot.
Under the state’s mail-ballot return rules, completed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the county Board of Elections by Nov. 10. They can instead be delivered to the county elections office or a polling place within the voter’s county by 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Voters should sign and date the ballot’s security envelope and follow the return instructions carefully. Anyone mailing a ballot at the last minute should check collection times to ensure it receives a timely postmark.
Voters already issued a mail ballot who decide to vote in person must use an affidavit ballot rather than a voting machine. Election officials check whether the mail ballot was received before determining whether the affidavit ballot can be counted.
Election-night returns will remain unofficial
Gallup found that 61% of Americans were very or somewhat confident that votes nationwide would be accurately cast and counted. Confidence differed by party, reaching 72% among Democrats, 54% among Republicans and 60% among independents.
In New York, early voting results are included in unofficial election-night totals. Additional counting and review can change totals after the first reports appear.
FingerLakes1.com’s Election Center will publish returns as officials report them, with sources and update times shown for individual races. A candidate’s lead, or even a complete precinct count, does not by itself mean the result has been certified.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
