MONTICELLO – New York instituted early voting in 2019, becoming the 39th state to do so, after the state legislature approved voter reform measures.

In Sullivan County there is only one early voting poll site, at the Government Center in Monticello. The amount of poll sites is based on the number of registered voters in each county; one site per 50,000 registered voters.

During the county legislature’s Government Services Committee meeting last week, Sullivan County Board of Elections (BOE) Commissioner Lori Benjamin said the county, along with other small counties in the state, plan to send a letter to the state BOE to address some issues with early voting.

Based on the early voting law requirements, the polling sites must be open for nine days, including weekends.

Benjamin said that the county has to pay staff to work the polls as well as pay overtime during that time.

Further, voter turnout was extremely low in this last primary election on June 22. During the early voting period there were 58 voters, Benjamin said.

The primary included six election districts with a total of 4,400 people that could vote, but “we didn’t even get close to that,” Benjamin told legislators.

Benjamin said that based on the numbers this comes out to $1,000 per vote.

“I can understand early voting when the whole county is involved, or if it’s a big election—presidential or federal,” she said.

But when it comes to smaller elections, she said they will ask the state to modify early voting regulations, such as shortening the number of days.

Grahamsville resident and community activist, Kenneth Walter, said during public comment, “I hate when a vote is measured by dollars,” adding that veterans fought for our right to vote.

Early voting during the presidential election in November saw large lines waiting outside the Government Center, and on Election Day some districts reported lines at the polls.

Currently, the federal government is trying to pass the For the People Act, which would expand voting rights among other items.

“I think we should spend more time encouraging voting and less time limiting the hours,” said Steve Vegliante, Chair of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee and Fallsburg Town Supervisor. “[Early voting] is something that is brand new to New York, and while I recognize this year wasn’t utilized as much as it could have been, I think we have to do more in the outreach department to make sure people know when and where they can vote. And we should encourage as many people as possible to be part of the process.”