With Election Day less than two weeks away, and countywide early voting starting this Saturday, Oct. 26, candidates from both sides of the aisle are ramping up their campaign efforts across the North Fork. And while the presidential race is taking up much of the attention — and oxygen — there are several other vital federal, state and county seats on the line. Here is a guide to what you can expect on this year’s ballot, including candidate profiles, details on state and county propositions, early voting and Election Day polling information — plus a sample ballot.
Voter registration deadline: Saturday, Oct. 26
Early voting dates: Saturday, Oct. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 3
Early voting location: Suffolk County voters can cast ballots at any of the 28 polling stations listed on the county board of elections website including the following area locations:
- Southold Town Recreation Center, 970 Peconic Lane, Peconic
- Riverhead Town Hall, 4 West Second St., Riverhead
- Manorville Fire Department, 16 Silas Carter Rd., Manorville
- Robert Reid Recreation Center, Defense Hill Rd., Shoreham
Early voting hours:
- Oct. 26, 27 and 28: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 29 and 30: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Oct. 31, Nov. 1: Noon to 8 p.m.
- Nov. 2 and 3: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Polling hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Click here to find the current Election Day polling station for each district and enter the voter’s name, date of birth and ZIP code.
Who is on the ballot
UNITED STATES SENATE: NEW YORK STATE
INCUMBENT: KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-Albany)
Party lines: Democratic, Working Families
Ms. Gillibrand was selected to the Senate by former governor David Patterson in 2009 after then-Sen. Hilary Clinton was appointed to serve as U.S. Secretary of State. She won a special election to retain the seat in 2010 and was reelected to full terms in 2012 and 2018. Her current term ends in January. Prior to becoming a U.S. Senator, she worked as an attorney, law clerk, campaign staffer and special counsel to the secretary of Housing and Urban Development. She also represented New York’s 20th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for one term. In the Senate, she is chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities and serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the agriculture and aging committees.
Her platform: According to the priorities outlined on her website, if reelected, Ms. Gillibrand wants to ensure everyone has access to affordable, high-quality health care. In terms of revitalizing the economy, the Democrat wants to keep “good jobs” in New York State and is pushing for a national paid leave program. As a longtime member of the Senate agriculture committee, she pledges to pass policies that benefit rural communities and promote economic prosperity. She is also a strong advocate for immigration reform and as a U.S. Senator she hopes to focus on improving the current immigration system.
CHALLENGER: MIKE SAPRAICONE
(R-Oyster Bay)
Party lines: Republican, Conservative
Mr. Sapraicone served in the New York City Police Department for 20 years and retired as a detective in 2000. He launched his own small business, Squad Security, to provide security services to New York-based companies — including the American Stock Exchange — and it is now recognized as a global security firm based on Long Island. He has been a member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State and the American Academy for Professional Law Enforcement. He also served as president of the Seaford Union Free School District Board of Education and is a senior trustee of the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage.
His platform: If elected, the key issues Mr. Sapracione will focus on include public safety, border security, affordability, quality of life and integrity in government, according to his website. As a former police officer, he believes in supporting and providing necessary resources to law enforcement. As a U.S. Senator, he pledges “to repeal the cashless bail law” and pass legislation preventing local governments from defunding their police departments. He will support bipartisan efforts to combat inflation, restore the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and ease the tax burden on New York homeowners. He opposes the MTA’s congestion pricing program and hopes to increase federal funding to local school districts, hospitals and New York’s “environmental treasures.”
U.S. CONGRESS: NEW YORK DISTRICT 1
INCUMBENT: NICK LALOTA
(R-Amityville)
Party lines: Republican, Conservative
Mr. LaLota is currently serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 1st Congressional District. He was previously appointed and later twice elected to the Amityville Board of Trustees, is a former chief of staff for the Suffolk County Legislature and was commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he rose to the rank of lieutenant while serving in the military.
His platform: Mr. LaLota’s main priorities for a second term are to “secure the border, tackle inflation and always put Long Island first.” He pointed to his success in securing more than “$150 million in critical funding for our communities” during his first term and pledged to build on that success by “lowering taxes, creating good-paying jobs and addressing the unique needs of Long Island.”
CHALLENGER: JOHN AVLON
(D-Sag Harbor)
Party lines: Democratic, Common Sense
Mr. Avlon is a former CNN commentator who previously worked as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. He is also an author and presidential historian. Before joining The Daily Beast, he was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun, as well as a speechwriter for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani during his second term and in the aftermath of 9/11. He was a co-founder of the bipartisan, not-for-profit political group, No Labels.
His platform: Despite running on the Democratic line, Mr. Avlon is a self-proclaimed centrist who said he believes in “rebuilding the middle” and closing the gap between the increasingly polarized political parties. If elected, his legislative priorities include working toward comprehensive immigration reform, restoring SALT deductions, expanding the Child Tax Credit and working to make Long Island a leader in the next generation of green technology.
NEW YORK STATE SENATE: District 1
INCUMBENT: ANTHONY PALUMBO (R-New Suffolk)
Party lines: Republican, Conservative
Mr. Palumbo is the incumbent state Senator representing District 1 and is seeking his third term in the state high chamber. He first won the seat in 2020, replacing retiring Republican predecessor Kenneth La Valle, New York’s longest-serving state representative. Before joining the Senate, Mr. Palumbo served in the state Assembly since 2013. A practicing lawyer, he previously worked as an assistant Suffolk County district attorney before starting a private practice on the North Fork and later joining the Legislature. This is his seventh run for political office.
His platform: For this reelection campaign, Mr. Palumbo’s key priorities for District 1 are affordable housing, public safety and protecting the environment. He believes in improving resiliency measures, maintaining local government control, particularly in matters of housing and community development, and said he understands the importance of balancing the need for new development with open space preservation. He supports stronger laws to combat the fentanyl epidemic, including backing Chelsey’s Law which allows law enforcement officials to charge drug dealers linked to fatal overdoses with manslaughter.
CHALLENGER: SARAH ANKER
(D-Mt. Sinai)
Party lines: Democratic, Common Sense
Ms. Anker served as a Suffolk County Legislator from 2011 until she was term-limited in 2023. She previously worked as the first director of the energy department for Brookhaven Town, where she launched the Green Homes Go Solar program, which she said created enhanced renewable energy opportunities for the town’s 500,000 residents. Her experience working with the Mt. Sinai Civic Association led her to spearhead the creation of the Community Health and Environment Coalition, a not-for-profit devoted to cancer research and combating the region’s historically high cancer rates.
Her platform: If elected to the state Senate, Ms. Anker pledged to continue to advocate for improved cancer-rate data collection and analysis from the state Department of Health. She said she will work to protect safe drinking water, improve water quality and enhance coastal resiliency across the East End. Regarding more affordable housing communities for young working families, Ms. Anker suggests looking into potential development of residential and commercial districts near colleges and transportation hubs. She is a supporter of Chelsey’s Law and believes more funding should be put toward drug enforcement and misuse prevention.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY: DISTRICT 1
STEPHEN KIELY
(R-Mattituck)
Party lines: Republican, Conservative
Mr. Kiely is currently the Shelter Island Town attorney and previously served as an assistant town attorney for Southampton, Southold and Brookhaven. In 2016, he left the Southold position to focus on his private practice. He spent three years as a Deputy County Clerk for Suffolk County. This is Mr. Kiely’s fourth run for elected office — the most recent being in 2023 when he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Southold Town Board.
His platform: Mr. Kiely opposes high-density housing, battery energy storage system (BESS) mandates and overdevelopment on the East End and said he will fight to maintain the region’s rural character. He supports the Community Preservation Fund and believes it is a great tool for local municipalities. If elected, he would advocate for better train service across the East End and call for better management and increased accountability from the MTA. On the topic of crime and public safety, Mr. Kiely argues that New York’s bail reform laws are making communities less safe and need to be either drastically reformed or repealed entirely.
TOMMY JOHN SCHIAVONI
(D-Sag Harbor)
Party lines: Democratic, Working Families
Mr. Schiavoni is a retired educator who currently serves as a member of the Southampton Town Board. Before representing Southampton Town, he served on the North Haven Village Zoning Board of Appeals and was elected to the North Haven Village Board in 2014. Mr. Schiavoni worked as a high school social studies teacher for 32 years. He is also a member of a multi-generation family plumbing and heating business in Sag Harbor. Additionally, he was a trustee on the Sag Harbor Board of Education for three years.
His platform: A staunch advocate for public education, Mr. Schiavoni said he would reject any state budget that takes away funding from schools. Another priority for Mr. Schiavoni, if elected, would be to support open space preservation across the North Fork. He also pledges to continue to champion the CPF program. He previously supported the Community Housing Fund referendum and backs Gov. Hochul’s Pro-Housing Community Program — a policy designed to reward local governments trying to address New York’s housing crisis — and agrees that the state should work closely with local officials to develop cohesive housing plans specific to the needs of each municipality.
Ballot propositions
There are two propositions on the ballot this November, one statewide and the other county-specific.
Proposition 1 deals with updating the language in the Equal Rights Amendment of the New York State Constitution to expand the number of protected classes.
The original language read: “No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any subdivision thereof. No person shall, because of race, color, creed or religion, be subjected to any discrimination in his or her civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the state.”
The proposed new language adds the following protected classes to the amendment: ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex — including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression— pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy.
Advocates say the changes will ensure that individuals in these classes, including transgender people and people who have had abortions, cannot be discriminated against. It also seeks to ensure that the rights of one protected class do not take precedence over the rights of any other.
Proposition 2 seeks to extend and revise the drinking water protection program by creating a new water quality restoration fund supported by adding a 1/8% sales tax to all purchases, with revenue to be used for clean water projects. Advocates say a “yes” vote ensures Suffolk County funding through 2060 for clean water initiatives to protect drinking water, improve sewage treatment capabilities and support water quality in all bays, harbors and waterways. Approving this county-level funding also opens potential funding streams at the state and federal level.
Staff writers Brendan O’Connor and Amanda Olsen contributed to this article.