LOCKPORT, N.Y. — The early voting site at the Niagara County fairgrounds mostly looks just like any other.
There are tables for voters to fill out ballots, scanners to accept them and elections inspectors to greet and assist voters.
However, there is also a sheriff's deputy posted inside the polling site.
"As they say, things change over time," said Niagara County Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti. "There's a lot of rhetoric and a lot of things with this election, which I think cause people angst."
Through a grant obtained by the Niagara County Board of Elections and Homeland Security funds, the county was able to assemble about $75,000 to have a police officer posted at each early voting site throughout the county during all operating hours.
"There are 5 early polling locations in the county," said Filicetti. "At four of them, you'll see a deputy sheriff and at the other one, in Niagara Falls, you'll see a City of Niagara Falls police officer."
Available funds will not allow for an officer or deputy to maintain a constant presence on Election Day when all of the county's polling sites will be open.
However, according to Filicetti, there will still be police dropping by polling sites periodically.
"On Election Day, you'll see throughout the county, at all polling locations, officers, deputies, and town police stopping in and out of those locations... just checking to make sure everything's okay," said Filicetti.
Meanwhile, like in a lot of other places, early voting seems to be taking off in Niagara County. Through the first four days of the process 16,783 voter had cast ballots according to the county's Board of Elections.
By comparison, 9,086 voters had done so through the first four days of early voting during the last presidential election in 2020, reflecting a 54% increase this year.