Voters are getting a head start this week. With Election Day still several days away, early voting has begun.

“I really do think that early voting is really just a matter of convenience,” Monroe County Democratic Commissioner Jackie Ortiz said. “Not everyone necessarily has the time on Election Day. We certainly want people to find what works for them. And so early voting is really just that.”

New Yorkers will cast their vote for different local races depending on where they are registered, with candidates running for county, town and city offices.

“Some folks are getting a lot of mail, you know, explaining what their candidates stand for and who they are,” Monroe County Republican Commissioner Lisa Nicolay said. “So it's up to the voter to be informed. And I would encourage people to do that and then obviously come out, make your choice.”

Two statewide propositions are on the ballot this year, constitutional debt limitation placed on small city school districts and repairing sewage facilities.

“They're extremely important,” Ortiz said. “You're talking about the ability to move forward or not. And when you're talking about vital capital improvement types of programs, it is critical for people to pay attention, actually understand and cast their ballot in terms of where they would like to be on that particular issue.”

With 13 early voting locations in Monroe County, any eligible voter in the county may go to any of the sites. But election officials are expecting a lighter voter turnout.

“That's unfortunate because, you know, in a presidential year, we get between 70 and 80% of registered voters that actually turn out to vote,” Nicolay said. “In a year like this, it's probably going to be closer to 15 to 25, maybe 30. They make those decisions about things like what buildings are going to be put up in your town, or how close you can be to your neighbor's fence and things like that. So those things are really important to just day-to-day living in your community.”

Hoping everyone takes the opportunity to vote, officials stress the importance of exercising their civic duty, as its local officials may have just as big of an impact as the presidential race does.

“This is the most important year for people to go out and vote because you're choosing the people that represent your local community and those people really have an effect on your lives,” Nicolay said.