There are not many local races of note within Steuben and Allegany County this year, but early voting indicates there will be a large turnout in these rural areas. So what’s drawing residents to the polls? Hornell Evening Tribune reporter and regional editor Chris Potter tells WBFO it’s Donald Trump.
Election officials across Western New York are seeing massive turnouts for New York’s second year of early voting. Thus far in rural counties like Stueben and Allegany, registered democrats are voting at the same rate as registered republicans. Potter said democrats in New York’s 23 district believe they are mobilizing well this year, given these areas are populated by many more republicans.
"They (Allegany County Democratic Committee) said they saw a lot more increased interest over past years. A lot more people through the door at their headquarters on Main Street and Wellsville, and handed out a lot of yard signs," Potter said. "So it's kind of sometimes hard to quantify those things in terms of voter turnout, but so far, it seems like that is certainly bearing fruit."
Potter said the race to represent New York’s 23 congressional district in the US House of Representatives between incumbent republican Tom Reed and democratic challenger Tracy Mitrano could be closer than it was two years ago. Reed won in 2018 with 54 percent of the vote.
