Nearly 2 million New Yorkers voted during the nine-day early voting period, an increase of nearly 67% from the 2022 midterm election, according to Spectrum News.
State Board of Elections spokesperson Kathleen McGrath said participation increased across New York as voters became more comfortable with early voting, which began statewide in 2019.
University at Buffalo political scientist Shawn Donahue said campaign outreach also encourages supporters to cast ballots before Election Day.
Donahue cautioned that higher early voting numbers do not necessarily mean higher overall turnout because some participants would otherwise have voted on Election Day.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, and voters in line at closing time can still cast ballots.
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