VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Early voting in Onondaga County: where to go, when to go and who has been going
Greg Carlton: Early voting is open and in full swing for Onondaga County’s general election. Whether you live in the center of Syracuse or in the suburbs like Camillus or Baldwinsville, there are poll sites nearby. Those voting today — like this Eastwood couple — say it saves a lot of hassle.
Joan Harkulich: You’re in and out faster. It’s just quicker.
John Harkulich: Well, I think for some people what would happen is they would go to the polls on polling day, and if there’s long lines, they would not go.
Carlton: Early voting sites are open noon to eight today and tomorrow, ten to six Thursday and Friday, and nine to five on the weekend. At the Beauchamp Library on South Salina Street, there’s been a steady trickle of voters coming in to cast their ballots. But poll workers say they aren’t seeing many college students — and that might be the missing piece.
Lee Plavoukos: Many college students, I find in the voter rolls, didn’t vote in the past.
Carlton: Mayoral candidates are pushing for that to change — one even sued the Board of Elections so college students could vote. After all that, voters say there’s no reason not to do it, and do it early.
Joan Harkulich: They absolutely should be. They’re adults, they’re part of the system, they get the benefit of whatever laws are made and the taxes that are charged. They have to be involved in all that, so they should vote.
John Harkulich: It’s great. As a matter of fact, I’m wondering why they don’t have an early voting station up at SU right now.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Early voting in Onondaga County began Oct. 25 for the general election.
In this election cycle, voters are casting ballots for different legislators, common council members, Supreme Court justices and the new Syracuse City Mayor.
Early voters, like Joan and John Harkulich of Eastwood, said that the early voting system is a hassle free way to cast a ballot and make sure it gets in.
“You’re in and out faster. It’s just quicker,” said Joan.
“I think for some people what would happen is they would go to the polls on polling day, and if there’s long lines, they would not go,” said John, Joan’s husband, “Some people might be working on polling day, and they’ll get off work and not bother to go and vote.”
At Beauchamp Branch Library on South Salina Street and the Magnarelli Community Center in McChesney Park, voters were coming in steadily on Oct. 28, but many, if not all of them were retired, older people.
One group that was not present that day: college students.
Lee Plavoukos is a member of the Board of Elections and was stationed at Beauchamp Library, he said that this is recurring.
“Many college students, I find in the voter roles, didn’t vote in the past,” Plavoukos said.
Plavoukos said that many college students, despite many mayoral candidates pushing for participation, have not been showing up to the polling places so far.
Mayoral candidate Alfonso Davis sued the Board of Elections in the past so that college students could vote. He has been a strong voice in the push to get college kids to the polls.
“I fought so you [college students] could vote,” said Davis, “The college students are living here almost the entire year.”
Joan Harkulich had the same opinion.
“They absolutely should be. They’re adults, they’re part of the system, they get the benefit of whatever laws are made and the taxes that are charged,” she said, “They have to be involved in all that so they should vote.”
Poll workers at both sites said that having strong participation in college kids could most definitely change the result of the election and the status of propositions being voted on.
Polling day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. There are early voting sites available all over Onondaga County:
ARMOND MAGNARELLI COMMUNITY CENTER AT MCCHESNEY PARK
2300 Grant Boulevard, Syracuse NY 13208
BEAUCHAMP BRANCH LIBRARY
2111 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13205
CAMILLUS FIRE DEPARTMENT (Rear Entrance)
5801 Newport Rd, Camillus NY 13031
CLAY TOWN HALL COURTROOM (Rear Entrance)
4401 Route 31, Clay NY 13041
DEWITT TOWN HALL COURTROOM
5400 Butternut Drive, East Syracuse NY 13057
LAFAYETTE COMMUNITY CENTER
2508 US-11, LaFayette NY 13084
LYSANDER MUNICIPAL BUILDING (Court Entrance)
8220 Loop Road, Baldwinsville, NY 13027
ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Mulroy Hall
4926 Onondaga Road, Syracuse, NY 13215
NORTH SYRACUSE COMMUNITY CENTER
700 South Bay Road, Syracuse, NY 13212
SYRACUSE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS (SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER)
401-425 South Avenue, Syracuse NY 13204
According to Onondaga County’s Board of Elections, every voter within Onondaga County will be able to vote at any Early Voting Site. The sites are also open every day leading up to polling day, except for the day before, Monday, Nov. 3:
Saturday, October 25, 2025: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Sunday, October 26, 2025: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Monday, October 27, 2025: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Tuesday, October 28, 2025: 12:00PM – 8:00PM
Wednesday, October 29, 2025: 12:00PM – 8:00PM
Thursday, October 30, 2025: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Friday, October 31, 2025: 10:00AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday, November 1, 2025: 9:00AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, November 2, 2025: 9:00AM – 5:00 PM
All other election and early voting info can be found on the Board of Elections website: https://onondaga.gov/elections/