Polls open for early voting on Long Island Saturday

The first wave of early voting began Saturday as Long Islanders cast ballots in a range of contests, including for Nassau County executive, the county legislatures and town council seats.

Citing the convenience of avoiding Election Day crowds and a commitment to civic duty, voters headed to the polls in a local election year that typically draws a much smaller turnout compared to presidential and congressional years.

At polling sites from Westbury to Islip, residents reported a smooth voting process to kick off the statewide early voting that runs for nine days in advance of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

"It's a lot easier to come to vote now," said Paul Maini at the Yes We Can Community Center in Westbury. "There's no conflict, it's very peaceful."

Voting on Election Day, which for many is a work day, is unnecessarily stressful, said Maini, 66, who works as a letter carrier.

Jennifer Kaulback, 53, of Huntington, said she's voted early since the pandemic, adding it's easier for her than on Election Day. She said she takes a 6:15 a.m. train into New York City for work.

"By the time I get home, I'm just too tired," she said at the Huntington Public Library's Station Branch.

Several voters said they had trips planned and would be out of town on Election Day, so it was important for them to have the convenience of early voting.

Jill Balk, 73, of Huntington Station, said she was leaving Monday for a trip to Japan.

"It's very organized and it's good to come early because you don't have to wait on line," she said.

In Nassau County, voters began to cast ballots in a county executive race that pits Republican incumbent Bruce Blakeman against Democratic challenger Seth Koslow, as well as a district attorney race that features Republican incumbent Anne Donnelly against Democratic challenger Nicole Aloise.

John Kenul, 74, of East Meadow, said he is "concerned about criminality."

"Nobody's an angel, I'm not saying be brutal, but when it comes down to really, really heinous crimes, there needs to be some accountability," he said.

Harvey Sackowitz, 81, of Westbury, voted with his wife, Avril Sackowitz, 68. They said they voted in support of Blakeman.

"We've met him numerous times and, guy's got a gold heart," Harvey said.

In Suffolk County, both the district attorney and sheriff’s races are uncontested.

Vickie Moskowitz, 72, of Huntington, said she was "disappointed" there weren't Democratic candidates in every position.

"And in a lot of cases, they were all the same whether it was Democrat or Republican, it was the same people in both races," she said.

Suffolk voters will also decide on a proposition to extend the length of terms for legislators from two to four years. The Republican-controlled legislature approved a bill earlier this year extending the term length in response to the statewide shift of local elections to even years beginning in 2026.

Several voters interviewed said they supported the measure if it saved taxpayer money by allowing the county to hold fewer elections. Some residents said they were digesting the proposition for the first time Saturday.

For Joan Papavero, of Oakdale, the proposition required "a lot of research to actually figure out what it was all about."

Gerard Placa, 64, of East Islip, said he didn't know about the proposition beforehand but thought it was a good idea.

At Levittown Hall in Hicksville, Jaclyn Siegel wore an "I voted" sticker on her jacket and said she voted early because she works the polls on general Election Day.

"I always vote in local elections and I think they're actually the most important because they impact our lives the most," said Siegel, 39, a teacher who lives in Hicksville.

The low voter turnout typical of local elections is "really sad," said Siegel.

"Then you're only having a handful of people decide who's, you know, your local representative or the town supervisor," Siegel said. "And then they make laws that you might not like, and then you have to live with those laws."