Only a fraction can vote: Early voting preparations underway in Syracuse’s mayoral race
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Early voting is just around the corner, and while a competitive Democratic primary for Syracuse mayor is on the horizon, only a limited number of residents will be able to participate.
“Only about 55,000 of city residents are actually eligible to vote,” said Dustin Czarny, Democratic commissioner for the Onondaga County Board of Elections. “New York is a closed primary state, so only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary.”
A sign marks the entrance to the Onondaga County Board of Elections office at 1000 Erie Blvd. West. Staff are preparing for the June 14 start of early voting. © 2025 Maria Wainscott
The Board of Elections is preparing for the start of early voting on Saturday, June 14. Inside the office, bipartisan teams are testing machines, processing vote-by-mail ballots and shipping materials to polling sites.
“So right now, we’re pre-letting all of our machines, including our early voting machines,” Czarny said. “Pre-let is our logic and accuracy testing. We have bipartisan teams going back and hand programming each machine, testing them to make sure that they’re ready.”
Election maps line the wall of the Onondaga County Board of Elections office in Syracuse. About 55,000 city residents are eligible to vote in the upcoming Democratic primary. © 2025 Maria Wainscott
Czarny said the office has also been in contact with polling sites and expects all early voting locations to open on time at 9 a.m. June 14.
Syracuse’s next mayor will be decided in November, but first, three Democratic candidates — Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, Common Councilor Pat Hogan and Councilor-at-Large Chol Majok — are competing for the nomination on June 24.
Republican candidate Thomas Babilon is running unopposed and will appear on the general election ballot in November alongside independent candidates Tim Rudd and Alfonso Davis.
Syracuse City Hall is seen with the Syracuse city flag flying in front on Monday, June 2, 2025. City voters will head to the polls for early voting starting June 14. © 2025 Maria Wainscott
This means the primary may be the deciding moment for many voters in a heavily Democratic city.
“Voting is how you communicate your needs to government,” Czarny said. “This round of primary voting is again, maybe the last chance for a person to decide — or the first chance — for a person to decide who their leaders are going to be.”
Primary turnout is usually low, but Czarny emphasized the importance of early voting and its flexibility for people who may be away or busy on primary day.
“These are people who are generally very motivated to vote and want to vote,” he said. “And of course, there’s not many people who are eligible to vote … they may be busy on the 24th — it’s the end of the school year. People may be planning vacations, that kind of stuff.”
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot and ensure timely delivery is also June 14.
“Vote by mail is also June 14 — the last day to be guaranteed that we will mail you out a ballot and you will receive it in time to put it back in the mail by Election Day, on June 24. It has to be postmarked on Election Day,” Czarny said.
Ballots can be requested after June 14, but the Board of Elections cannot guarantee voters will receive them in time to return them.
First-time voters should also come prepared.
“If you’re a first-time register, first-time voter, you may be required to show ID at the polls,” Czarny said. “So bring ID with you. It’s the only time we request ID. And it doesn’t have to be your strict photo ID, like a driver’s license … you can bring in several different forms of ID.”
Early voting runs from June 14, through June 22. Primary day is Tuesday, June 24. Voters can find polling sites, hours and information about vote-by-mail ballots at ongov.net.
“We offer it as a service,” Czarny said. “So we have three modes of voting — early vote, vote by mail and Election Day. Any mode that is good for you is what’s good for us.”
