BOE data: Nassau outpacing Suffolk during early voting, which ends Sunday
Early voters cast their ballots at Levittown Hall in Hicksville on the first day of early voting. Credit: Morgan Campbell
Voter turnout in Nassau County outpaced Suffolk during the first seven days of early voting as residents cast ballots to determine the next Nassau county executive and district attorney among other races.
In Nassau, 63,853 voters have cast ballots through Friday, compared with 36,219 voters in Suffolk, according to data from each county's board of elections provided to Newsday Saturday.
Early voting ends Sunday and Election Day is Tuesday.
The county executive race features Republican incumbent Bruce Blakeman, who is seeking a second term, against Democratic challenger Seth Koslow, a criminal defense attorney who was elected to the county legislature in 2023.
In Nassau, the voter breakdown shows Republicans have outpaced Democrats, 28,411 to 23,401. An additional 9,816 voters had no party affiliation, 1,140 were independent and 891 Conservative.
Nearly half of all early votes through Friday have come in Hempstead Town, the largest in Nassau, where a race for town supervisor has driven voters to the polls. A total of 32,464 votes have come from Hempstead Town, according to data from the Nassau County Board of Elections.
Republican Supervisor John Ferretti faces Democratic challenger Joseph Scianablo.
In Suffolk, the countywide races for district attorney and sheriff are uncontested. Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, a Republican, won a four-year term in 2023.
The party breakdown in Suffolk shows Democrats with a slight lead, 14,711 compared with 13,010 for Republicans. An additional 7,607 voters had no party affiliation and other recognized parties totaled 891, according to the Suffolk BOE.
The early voting figures do not include absentee or early mail-in ballots.
In Nassau, voters can cast ballots at any early polling site Sunday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. In Suffolk, the hours run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Anyone who votes during early voting is not permitted to cast a ballot on Election Day. Voters on Election Day must cast a ballot at their designated polling site, which can be found at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
