Elections and Voter Information

League of Women Voters^®
of Schenectady County

We make voting easier through varied voter education programs.

Links to local Board of Elections, Government Services and Information: Who is on the ballot in the next election? How to register to vote? ...and more

Voter Services Group. Vote411.org. For Election Information. Take Me To Vote Report: November 2011. Voter Registration. Links to Local Boards. How to Register to Vote, Find a Ballot or Polling Place, Explore Voting Machines. Forum Information. Explanation of the Primary Process in NYS. City Council and Town Board Meetings. Schenectady County Legislature Meetings. State-Wide Politics and Financial Disclosures.

Voter Services Group

For questions about Voter Services, please contact: Pat MacKinnon voterservices1@lwvschenectady.org
Inge-Lise Pangburn voterservices2@lwvschenectady.org
Jenny Overeynder voterservices3@lwvschenectady.org
Elizabeth Cooke voterservices4@lwvschenectady.org
Connie Young voterservices5@lwvschenectady.org

Vote411.org. For Election Information

The Schenectady County on line voters' guide is now available at http://www.Vote411.org . It allows you to locate the races you will be voting on, the candidates who are running, and information about candidates who have chosen to participate. It is very easy to use - you just have to put in your address.
You can compare candidates side by side, select the ones you like the best, and print out a ballot to take with you to the polls.
Please try this out and let your friends and relatives know about it! If you know a candidate who is not participating, you can encourage them as well. All they need to do is email me at macol17@nycap.rr.com!
Pat MacKinnon, VP, League of Women Voters of Schenectady County

Take Me To Vote Report: November 2011

Connie Young, Program Chair
Thank you to all the volunteers who delivered the TAKE ME TO VOTE materials. We had participation from AAUW and LWV members. Thanks to Dottie Potochnik, Robin Eddy, Elise Russo, Carol Reynolds, Linda Ward, Linda Zuckerman and Ellen Auerback, Edie Murlock, Ellie Rowland, Helen Macdonald, Helga Schroeter, Mary Pritchard, Gwynne Delong, Inge Pangburn. Betsy Forkas, Mary Ann Mangano and Connie Young This yearʼs top 4 school participants are St John the Evangelist School (Schenectady) with 31% participation, Glendaal School (Glenville) with 24% Jefferson School (Mariaville) 23% and Craig School (Niskayuna) 17%.

Voter Registration

Greetings from the 1st VP! Pat MacKinnon
We have definitely entered a new combination of seasons that have potential for both great beauty and lots of excitement. I am referring, of course, to autumn and the election season. At the last Board meeting a new Voter Registration initiative was approved to augment the efforts so ably begun by Elaine Klein. Sonia Rubenstein suggested that we should be involving as many LWV members as possible in Voter Registration, and so we are asking for your help!
The kernel of the idea is to use Voter Registration forms and information to inform the folks we all come in contact with about voter registration and the Schenectady LWV. We are asking each of you to become the "go-to person" in your neighborhood, your church, your lunch group, your book club, or wherever you meet and greet, for Voter Registration materials and information. Right now, as the deadlines for registration, changes to registrations, and absentee ballots approach, you can have forms and information available for your social contacts. But no matter what time of year it is, you can knock on the door of your new neighbors and bring them the forms they will need to change their address. People also seem to be very happy to receive a copy of our Who's Who.
Almost any information you might need is available on our website. The deadline for new voter registration, change of address, or change of name is October 8 for in-person registration, or for a mailed registration to be postmarked. Applications or letters of applications for Absentee Ballots must be postmarked by Oct. 26. The actual Absentee Ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 1 and received by the Board of elections by Nov. 9.
Here are three easy ways to register or obtain registration materials:
1. Go to our website, http://www.lwvschenectady.org. On the home page, scroll down to How to Register to Vote. The "Voter Registration Tool" allows you to input your information and print a self-mailing registration form.
2. On our website home page, click on "Schenectady County Board of Election." You can download a registration form or request one to be mailed to you.
3. Stop at any post office to obtain a registration form.
Have a happy autumn and election season! Pat MacKinnon

Local Boards of Elections

Schenectady County Board of Elections
New York State Board of Elections

How to Register to Vote, Find a Ballot or Polling Place, Explore Voting Machines

The New York State Voter education website offers voters the opportunity to learn the type of voting systems selected for use in their county, provide an opportunity to look up their voter registration status and, where provided, determine their poll site, as well as serve as a poll worker recruitment tool. NYS Voter Education
This tool, provided by the League, is a quick and easy way to register to vote. Voter Registration Tool
The following site is the League's one-stop-shop for election information, including a polling place locater. VOTE411.org
The League of Women Voters of New York State is pleased to announce the introduction of the new Smart Voter campaign information website: <http://www.smartvoter.org/ny/state.>

Forum Information

Goal: to educate voters on the issues; to stimulate voter interest; to encourage voter participation in elections; to present programs in a nonpartisan manner
Policies:
1. All candidates for office who meet New York State election law requirements to be on the ballot and are involved in contested races are eligible to take part in candidate forums.
2. When more than one candidate for a state, county or local office is on the ballot and an invited candidate for state, county or local office does not respond or accept an invitation to the forum, or when a candidate accepts but does not appear at the forum, the candidate present at the forum may make a statement and answer audience submitted/League reviewed questions as long as this situation is made clear to the audience. The moderator will be permitted to announce that the absent person is a candidate for that office. No substitutes will be permitted to take the place of a candidate. The absent candidate will be allowed to submit an opening statement with the same time limits as the candidates present. The moderator would read the statement provided by the absent candidate.
3. No videotaping of candidate debates, or parts thereof, is permitted except by those previously authorized by the League of Women Voters to officially tape the event.
4. Candidates' literature will be allowed to be distributed on tables placed near the entrance to the forum location.
5. The League reserves the right to cancel the forum if circumstances warrant.
6. Candidates will be sent a copy of these policies when they are invited to participate in the forum. Any subsequent changes to the program format will be communicated to candidates prior to the program.

Explanation of the Primary Process in NYS

Presidential Primaries in New York State
The Democratic and Republican primaries in New York State are different in important ways, but have similarities. Both are "closed" primaries; participation is limited to the voters who have registered in the party that is sponsoring the election. While delegates are not bound by any law to vote for any particular candidate at the party's national convention, both parties have "pledged" candidates who vote for the candidate to whom they are "pledged". Both parties also have "un-pledged" and/or "super" delegates, who are not committed to a particular candidate. A certain number of delegates in each party participate because they occupy a particular elective or party position. Before the primary, candidates submit to the board of elections a list of delegates from each congressional district that are committed to them. These delegates actually appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary, along with a statewide presidential democratic candidate, but do not appear on the ballot in the Republican primary.
Details of the Nominating Process
Democrats: "Proportional" Primary, 281 delegates at stake New York Democrats have a total of 281 delegates, 151 of whom are "pledged" and will be elected proportionally based on the results of the February 5th primary within each congressional district. In addition, 45 are automatic and/or chosen from party leaders. The remaining 85 delegates are selected at a state Democratic committee meeting in May.
The Democratic Party in New York always uses a proportional method for awarding delegates. The percentage of delegates each candidate is awarded (or the number of undecided delegates) is representative of the number of primary votes for the candidate.
The Democratic Party primary in New York is really a "dual primary." Candidates for president appear on the ballot and run against each other in a statewide primary, and delegates and alternate delegates run in each congressional district. Delegates and alternates are either committed to a presidential candidate or uncommitted, and males and females are equally represented among the delegate choices for a candidate.
Republicans: "Winner-take-all" Primary, 101 delegates at stake
The National Republican Party, unlike the Democratic Party, allows each state to decide whether to use a "winner-take-all method" or the "proportional" method. In the winner-take-all method, the candidate whom the majority of caucus participants or voters support receives all the delegates for the state. New York is a "winner take all" state.
In New York, the selection of delegates and alternate delegates to the Republican National Convention is determined by a statewide primary of candidates for the office of President. Unlike the Democratic primary ballot, the names of the delegates and alternate delegates do no appear. Based on the results of the February 5th presidential primary, 87 of the state's 101 Republican delegates are allocated to the presidential candidate with the most votes statewide. At a Republican state committee meeting, the remaining 14 unpledged delegates are selected from party leaders.

City Council and Town Board Meetings

Schenectady City Council meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays at the City Hall, 7 p.m.
Glenville Town Board meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at the Municipal Center, 7:30 p.m.
Rotterdam Town Board meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at Assembly Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Niskayuna Town Board: Call 386-4592 for the schedule

Schenectady County Legislature Meetings

The Schenectady County Legislature meets the 2nd Tuesdays in the County Office Building at 7 p.m.

Local and State-Wide Political Information

Click here for political information about the City and County of Schenectady, the Capital District Area, and Statewide Politics: http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/local/nysgovernor.html
The above is a web-site maintained by the SCHENECTADY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, a service of the Schenectady County Public Library.

The League of Women Voters Education Fund conducts voter service and citizen education activities. It is a nonpartisan nonprofit public policy educational organization, which:

Builds citizen participation in the democratic process.

Studies key community issues at all government levels in an unbiased manner.

Enables people to seek positive solutions to public policy issues through education and conflict management.

Donations to the Education Fund, a 501(c)(3)corporation, are fully tax-deductible where allowed by law.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: January 19, 2012 20:14 PST.