To the Editor:

With less than two weeks until Election Day, I hope that by now all registered voters have a plan to vote. Having a plan is more than usually important this year because turnout is expected to be very high, and yet the COVID-19 pandemic can make indoor spaces risky.

The League of Women Voters urges you to be an October Voter. To avoid crowds, take advantage of the nine days of early voting now available to you in New York: October 24-November 1 (see your County Board of Elections’ website for hours).

Or, vote by absentee ballot: if you haven’t applied for a ballot already, do so online (https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingAbsentee.html), by phone or email by October 27, and return your ballot by mail or in person as soon as possible.

If you plan to vote in person, observe social distancing, and wear a mask to protect poll workers, other voters, and yourself. If you vote during the early voting period, wear your “I Voted” sticker with pride through November 3, to remind others to exercise their right.

The LWV of St. Lawrence County would like to thank the generous donors who enabled us to provide stickers: Price Chopper/Market 32’s Golub Foundation, Stewart’s Shops, the Society of United Helpers, the Vote Everywhere Team of the Andrew Goodman Foundation at St Lawrence University, the Energy Futures Group, and members and friends of the LWV SLC.

Before you vote, inform yourself about the candidates and the issues. The LWV US’s www.vote411.org is a good place to start. For North County races, read NCN/NCTW, and listen to the LWV SLC’s “Conversations with Candidates”: https://www.facebook.com/NorthCountryMatters/ or https://www.facebook.com/LWVSLC/.

Remember that policies enacted at the state and local level affect your life every day.

Finally, the League reminds everyone that the 2020 General Election is unusual in one more respect: an unprecedented number of voters are choosing to vote by absentee ballot. This means we might not have clear results on Election Night because state laws vary on when absentee ballots are counted. In NYS, for example, they are not tabulated until after Election Day. Let’s be patient. Democracy is worth waiting for: we want an accurate count, not just a quick one.

Bottom line: Vote. It counts!

Kathleen Stein, president

League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County