Frequently asked questions: Tompkins County 2025 general election

What’s the difference between the Town and City of Ithaca?

The Town of Ithaca and the City of Ithaca are two separate municipalities. The City of Ithaca makes up the center of Ithaca and is made up of five wards, each with a representative on the city’s Ithaca Common Council. The Town of Ithaca forms a larger square around the city and is governed by the Town Board. The two parts of Ithaca are generally one community, sharing a school district and many municipal services.

What’s the difference between the June primary election and the November general election?

On June 24, voters in Tompkins County voted in the primary election that would decide who would be on the ballot for the general election in November. This vote helps narrow down the candidates in each party to prevent parties from splitting on candidates if there are more candidates in one party than another. The 2025 primary election in Tompkins County resulted in largely predicted winners for the general election because not many races had candidates from parties other than the Democratic Party. The primary election decides between candidates of the same party, while the general election decides between candidates across parties. In Ithaca, because many races had candidates from the same party, the winner of the primary election will be the winner of the general election if no one runs as a write-in or a party that is not in the primary.

Where and how can I vote?

People over the age of 18 are eligible to vote in the Nov. 4 election if they register online at Elections.NY.Gov/Register-Vote before Oct. 25. Those who are registered to vote in Tompkins County can visit a local poll for their respective legislative district on Election Day which can be identified at VoterLookup.Elections.NY.gov/. Ithaca College students registered to vote with their college address can vote at Longview Senior Living.

Early voting is available from Oct. 25 through Nov. 2 at the Town of Ithaca Town Hall and the Crash Fire Rescue building. Voting is available at those locations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Oct. 28 and Oct. 30 when it is open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Anyone who wants to vote in their hometown election with their home address can apply for an absentee ballot before Oct. 25 and mail it in with time to be postmarked before Nov. 4.

Who can I vote for as an IC student registered to vote with my campus address?

Students at IC are eligible to vote in Tompkins County Legislative District 14 which is part of the Town of Ithaca. This means students registered to vote with their on-campus address can vote for Democratic candidate Christy Bianconi ’22 or the People First Party candidate Michelle Wright for county legislator for District 14 and Jim Salk for Town Justice. Voters also must vote for three councilpersons which include Rob Rosen, Diana Sinton and David McCune. For all candidates, voters can also opt to write in a person instead.

I don’t live here, why should I care?

Many aspects of life in Ithaca are informed by local elected officials. In many ways local politicians and political systems have much more of an effect on people's daily lives than federal level politicians. Both the Ithaca Common Council and Tompkins County Legislature set budgets and important guidelines around the spending of money. The Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, road quality, local laws, public and health services and more are all under their jurisdiction. Additionally, local government advocacy and participation can create observable change in communities.

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The Ithacan’s 2025 Local Politics Guide for City of Ithaca and Tompkins County

The Ithacan