Decision 2022: Your guide to what’s on the ballot

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Polls have opened for Election Day 2022. Some key races on this year’s ballot in New York State include governor, attorney general, U.S. Senator, and Congressional representatives.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. You can find your polling location here.

You can learn more about voting on the website for the New York State Board of Elections or the Monroe County Board of Elections. As of 11 a.m., more than 62,000 people have voted on Election Day across Monroe County. That’s nearly 14% of registered voters. In the city, about 8,400 people have voted, which is nearly 11% of voters.

The Board of Elections said that about 55,000 voters cast their ballots before Election Day through early voting which ran from October 29 to November 6. For the first time this year, absentee ballots will be included in the first batch of returns on Election Day. Already, about 70% of the absentee ballots requested in Monroe County have been returned. That’s about 13,600 ballots.

Here’s your guide to finding out who’s on your ballot. You can see who’s on your ballot using your zip code here.

All New York State ballots

Race for governor: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) vs. Congressman Lee Zeldin (R).

Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, has served as the state’s governor since Andrew Cuomo resigned in August 2021. Before, she served as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor starting in 2014. Lee Zeldin, a native of Suffolk County, has served as a congressman in the state’s first district since 2015. That district includes most of Long Island.

Our coverage:

• Zeldin and Singletary host rally in Irondequoit (Nov 6)
• Hochul and Zeldin speak about “dangerousness standard” that local lawmakers have proposed (Oct 28)
• Lee Zeldin campaigns in Rochester on Thursday (Oct 27)
• Gov. Hochul speaks about uptick in infectious diseases while Zeldin speaks about rising crime (Oct 26)
• Both sides declare victory after Governor Hochul and Congressman Zeldin debate (Oct 25)
• Zeldin’s crime message resonates in New York governor’s race (Oct 25)
• Gov. Hochul announces creation of a training center for wind energy jobs (Oct 20)
• Gov. Hochul announces $13.4 million for abortion providers (Oct 13)
• Governor Hochul says Rochester public safety is her main priority during City visit Friday (Oct 7)

Race for U.S. Senate: Senator Chuck Schumer (D) vs. Joe Pinion (R)

Chuck Schumer has served as the U.S. Senator for New York State since 1999. He became the Senate Majority Leader in January 2021. Joe Pinion is a political commentator and the host of the show “Saturday Agenda” for media organization Newsmax.

Our coverage:

• Senator Schumer and Pinion debate on abortion and immigration ahead of Election Day (Oct 31)
• Chuck Schumer announces push to fight spread of fentanyl (Sept 25)

Race for NYS Attorney General: Attorney General Letitia James (D) vs. Michael Henry (R)

Letitia James has served as the state’s attorney general since 2018. Her office has worked to keep the state’s new gun law in place by filing a challenge to a federal court ruling that blocked parts of the law. Michael Henry is a New York City-based attorney whose practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation. According to his website, his office has recovered millions of dollars in assets for clients ranging from billion-dollar banks to small business owners.

Our coverage:

• NYS Attorney General James said its time to re-examine bail reform (Oct 20)
• NYS Attorney General’s Office files motion to keep restrictions on gun carrying (Oct 10)

Race for NYS comptroller: Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli (D) vs. Paul Rodriguez (R)

The state’s comptroller ensures that the state and local governments use taxpayer money effectively and efficiently to promote the common good. Thomas DiNapoli has served as the state’s comptroller since 2007 and he was formerly the chairman of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. Paul Rodriguez is a global financial expert who has worked with multinational and small corporations.

Proposition: The Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act (YES or NO).

When you head to the polls on Election Day, you’ll see more than just the names of the candidates running for office. There is a proposition you’ll find on the back of your ballot. It’s called the Environmental Bond Act. Lawmakers say it’s to address and combat the impact of climate change.

The measure would authorize state debt and the sale of bonds totaling $4.2 billion. That money would go towards projects like land restoration and flood risk reduction. Some of it would also go to conservation and water infrastructure improvement. You can read more about the proposition here.

Local races on ballots

Some key local races include congress, state supreme court justice, family court judge, state senate, and state assembly. You can see who’s on your ballot using your zip code here. Here’s some information about the local races:

Race for 25th Congressional District: Rep. Joe Morelle (D) vs. La’Ron Singletary (R)

The 25th Congressional District is composed of Monroe County and parts of Orleans County. Joe Morelle has served that district since 2018, following the death of longtime representative Louise Slaughter. La’Ron Singletary is a former chief of the Rochester Police Department. He first joined the RPD in the year 2000.

Our coverage:

• NYS 25th District Congressional Candidates deliver final messages to early voters (Nov 5)
• Congressman Morelle hosts Early Vote Rally (Oct 30)
• Refugee Advocacy organization endorses La’Ron Singletary for Congress (Oct 30)
• Chuck Todd from Meet the Press weighs in on races including GOP spending $27,000 on Singletary ad buy at News10NBC (Oct 28)
• Morelle and Singletary hold final debate as race tightens (Oct 28)
• Rep. Morelle and Singletary speak about issues they believe are most important to voters (Oct. 11)
• Morelle & Singletary have first debate weeks ahead of Election Day (Oct. 3)
• Morelle and Singletary looking to solve problem of city violence (Oct. 3)
• Congressional candidate La’Ron Singletary speaks about plan to stop violence (Sept. 9)
• Rep. Morelle details campaign priorities, Singletary responds (Aug. 10)

Races for state senator: Here are some of the races for state senate in the Rochester area. Each registered voter has a designated state senator based on their zip code.

• 54th district: Senator Pamela Helming (R) vs. Kenan Baldridge (D)
• 55th district: Senator Samra Brouk (D) vs. Len Morrell (R)
• 56th district: Senator Jeremy Cooney (D) vs. Jim VanBrederode (R)

Races for state assembly: Here are some of the races for state assembly in the Rochester area. Each registered voter has a designated assemblymember based on their zip code.

• 135th district: Assemblymember Jen Lunsford (D) vs. Joe Chenelly (R)
• 136th district: Assemblymember Sarah Clark (D) vs. Orlando Rivera (R)
• 137th district: Assemblymember Demond Meeks (D) vs. Marcus Williams (R)
• 138th district: Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D) vs. Tracy DiFlorio (R)

Other information

• For questions about voting, you can call the Monroe County Board of Elections at (585) 753-1550
• You can see maps of districts for congress, state assembly, state senate, and others here.
• Once we have election results after the polls close, we’ll report it on whec.com