10.24.2026 News

Election 2026: Here’s what you need to know before going to the polls as early voting begins

The countdown to Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, begins with early voting — which starts Saturday, Oct. 24 and ends Sunday, Nov. 1.

Voters may cast a ballot at any of Suffolk County’s early voting sites, including the Southold Town Recreation Center at 970 Peconic Lane in Peconic.

Local races on the ballot include battles in the House, as well as State Senate and Assembly.

At the county level, voters will also pick their candidates for Suffolk County Comptroller Suffolk County Clerk. There are also contests for governor between incumbent Kathy Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Lieutenant Governor, State Comptroller and Attorney General.

Don’t forget to flip the ballot to vote for Supreme Court justices, Suffolk County Court justices and Family Court judges.

Early voting days and times

For the next two upcoming weekends, early voting sites will be open Saturday, Oct. 24 to Monday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 31 to Sunday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Early voting for Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30 takes place from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at any of the early voting sites in Suffolk County.

See the full list of locations, dates and times on the Suffolk County website here.

Below are the front and back of 2026 General Election ballot for Riverhead.

Voting by mail

Any registered voter may apply for an early mail ballot.

Online or mailed applications must reach the Board of Elections by Saturday, Oct. 24. In-person applications are due Monday, Nov. 2.

Saturday, Oct. 24 is also the voter-registration deadline.

Absentee ballots are available to voters who qualify under state law.

Return your ballot

Mail your completed ballot with a postmark no later than Election Day. It must reach the Board of Elections by Nov. 10.Voters may also return it at an early-voting site through Sunday, Nov. 1, or at a polling place on Election Day by 9 p.m.

Voting on Election Day

Can’t vote early or get a mail-in ballot on time? Voting on Election Day starts at 6 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m.

Voters must use their assigned polling place. Visit the New York State Board of Elections website to find your current Election Day polling station for your home district. Enter your name, date of birth and ZIP code.

New voting machines

Voters will be using new machines this year to cast their ballots. (Credit: Ana Borruto)

The Suffolk County Board of Elections is debuting new state-of-the-art ExpressVote XL machines for voters to use during the Democratic primary as well, which officials say are designed to enhance voter accessibility, security, and efficiency.

The technology merges traditional paper ballots with a digital process. Voters place their paper ballots into the machine, make their selections on a screen, review and edit if necessary and then touch the print button to compare the paper ballot with the digital selections on screen to make sure they match up.

Once thoroughly reviewed, voters can touch the flashing ‘cast your ballot’ button, where their ballot is tabulated and deposited into a secure ballot container attached to the machine.