The Lake Placid Beach House poll site, one of two early in-person voting locations in Essex County, is seen in October 2024. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

With early voting continuing through Sunday, Essex and Franklin counties are both reporting an early in-person and absentee voting turnout exceeding the last off-year general election, in 2023, while remaining well below last year’s presidential election.

The two county boards of elections provided the Enterprise with counts for the number of ballots cast between Oct. 25, when early voting began, and Oct. 30, the most recent full day as of press time Friday, when numbers were available. Early in-person voting continues through Nov. 2. For more information on voting times, visit tinyurl.com/nvcmmrwv.

None of the early results are released until after polls close on Election Day. However, officials are able to provide numbers of how many people have voted each day, and what their political party affiliations are — while not tallying whom or what those votes were cast for.

People’s political party affiliation — if they are registered with a party — is publicly available information. Voters’ ultimate ballot markings — who they vote for — are always secret. When voting results are tallied, no names or party affiliations are ever attached to the ballots they cast.

The numbers below are unofficial and have not been officially certified, which boards of elections do only after all of the legal votes for the election are tallied.

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Essex County

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In Essex County, there have been a total of 924 early in-person votes cast between Oct. 25 and Oct. 30, according to the Essex County Board of Elections. This number is expected to grow as early voting continues through Sunday at the Lake Placid Beach House, 49 Parkside Drive, and at the Essex County Public Safety Building, 702 Stowersville Road, Lewis.

Lake Placid has been the busier of the two Essex County early in-person voting sites through Oct. 30, with 688 votes cast there and 236 cast in Lewis.

Of early in-person votes, 429 (46.4%) were cast by registered Democrats, 274 (29.7%) by registered Republicans, 176 (19%) by voters not registered with a political party, 11 (1.2%) by registered Conservatives, 1 (0.1%) by a registered member of the Working Families Party and 33 (3.6%) by a registered member of any other officially-designated political party. Percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth of 1%.

In the 2024 general election, there were a total of 4,020 early in-person votes cast in Essex County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 23% of that figure. In 2023 — the last off-year election — there were a total of 831 early in-person votes cast in Essex County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 111.2% of that figure.

Additionally, Essex County has so far received 518 completed mail-in ballots through Oct. 30. Of those, 226 (43.6%) were cast by registered Democrats, 195 (37.6%) by registered Republicans, 74 (14.3%) by voters not registered with a political party, 5 (1%) by registered Conservatives, 3 (0.6%) by voters registered with the Working Families Party and 15 (2.9%) by a registered member of any other officially-designated political party, 4. Percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth of 1%.

In the 2024 general election, there were a total of 2,157 mail-in ballots cast in Essex County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 24% of that figure. In 2023 — the last off-year election — there were a total of 561 mail-in ballots cast in Essex County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 92.3% of that figure.

There are 25,877 people registered to vote in Essex County as of Oct. 30, according to the county board of elections. Of those, 10,631 (41.1%) are registered Republicans, 7,525 (29.1%) are registered Democrats, 5,944 (23%) are voters not registered with a political party, 303 (1.2%) are registered Conservatives, 109 (0.4%) are registered with the Working Families Party and 1,365 (5.3%) are registered with any other officially-designated political party.

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Franklin County

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In Franklin County, there have been a total of 741 early in-person votes cast between Oct. 25 and Oct. 30, according to the Franklin County Board of Elections. This number is expected to grow as early voting continues through Sunday at the Franklin County Court House, 355 West Main Street, Suite 161, Malone.

Of those, 356 (48%) were cast by registered Democrats, 248 (33.5%) by registered Republicans, 119 (16.1%) by voters not registered with a political party, 16 (2.2%) by registered Conservatives, 1 (0.1%) by a registered member of the Working Families party and 1 (0.1%) by a registered member of any other officially-designated political party. Percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth of 1%.

In the 2024 general election, there were a total of 3,378 early in-person votes cast in Franklin County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 21.9% of that figure. In 2023 — the last off-year election — there were a total of 434 early in-person votes cast in Franklin County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 170.7% of that figure.

Additionally, Franklin County has so far received 579 completed mail-in ballots through Oct. 30. Of those, 278 (48%) were cast by registered Democrats, 186 (32.1%) by registered Republicans, 79 (13.6%) by voters not registered with a political party, 4 (0.7%) by registered Conservatives, no ballots from any member of the Working Families Party and 32 (5.5%) by a registered member of any other officially-designated political party. Percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth of 1%.

In the 2024 general election, there were a total of 2,072 mail-in ballots cast in Franklin County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 27.9% of that figure. In 2023 — the last off-year election — there were a total of 477 mail-in ballots cast in Franklin County, making this year’s turnout through Oct. 30 about 121.4% of that figure.

There are 27,422 people registered to vote in Franklin County as of Oct. 30, according to the county board of elections. Of those, 9,713 (35.4%) are registered Republicans, 9,271 (33.8%) are registered Democrats, 6,393 (23.3%) are voters not registered with a political party, 418 (1.5%) are registered Conservatives, 129 (0.5%) are registered with the Working Families Party and 1,498 (5.5%) are registered with any other officially-designated political party.

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Voting by mail

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The deadline to request an early mail ballot online was Oct. 25, though voters can still request one in person at their county board of elections through Nov. 3. There are four ways to submit mail-in ballots. They can be mailed, and must be postmarked by Nov. 4. County boards of elections must receive the ballots from the postal service no later than Nov. 12. Ballots include a pre-paid return envelope, and do not require any postage to be mailed.

They can be dropped off at any early voting site within the voter’s county during early in-person voting hours. They can be dropped off at any election day polling location within the voter’s county during regular voting hours, which are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 4. They can be dropped off at the voter’s county board of elections office by 9 p.m. on Nov. 4.