A debate between the candidates for East Hampton Town supervisor and, separately, those for town board, will happen on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, running on the Democratic and Working Families tickets, and Councilman Jeff Bragman, running on the Independence Party line, will take part. The league's Estelle Gellman will moderate.
The five candidates for two seats on the town board are Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who is seeking a third term on the board and is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines; Cate Rogers, former chairwoman of the East Hampton Democratic Committee and also a Democratic and Working Families Party candidate; John Whelan, chairman of the town's zoning board of appeals and the Independence Party candidate, and Joe Karpinski and George Aman, the Republican and Conservative Party candidates.
Mr. Karpinski and Mr. Aman have declined to participate in debates by video conference, Manny Vilar, chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee, told The Star last Thursday. Ken Walles, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate for supervisor, previously said that he would not participate if the debate is held remotely and not in person. It will be broadcast live on LTV's Channel 20 and on its YouTube channel.
On Monday at 7 p.m., the league will host a debate among the four candidates for two seats on the Southampton Town Board. They are Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni and Robin Long on the Democratic side, and Cynthia McNamara and Ann Thomas, Republicans. Susan Wilson, the league's president, will moderate, and it will be broadcast live on Southampton's SEA-TV and on YouTube.
There will be no debate for Southampton Town supervisor, as Jay Schneiderman is running unopposed.
On Oct. 18, candidates to represent the Suffolk County Legislature's Second District will debate at 7 p.m. Legislator Bridget Fleming, a Democrat, and Robert Carpenter, a Republican, will participate, as Cathy Peacock of the league moderates. It will also be broadcast live on SEA-TV and on YouTube.
At all debates, the candidates will make timed opening and closing statements and answer questions submitted in advance to Barbara McClancy, the league's voter services committee chairwoman, at [email protected].
The mail-in deadline for voter registration forms is Friday, Oct. 8. The mail-in deadline for an absentee ballot application is Oct. 18, while the mail-in postmark deadline for the return of absentee ballots is Election Day. Voter registration forms are also available at the New York State Board of Elections website, elections.ny.gov.
Early voting happens from Oct. 23 to 31. For East Hampton Town residents, the early voting site will be Community Room 2 at Windmill Village at 219 Accabonac Road. In Southampton Town, the site will be the Stony Brook Southampton campus gym at 70 Tuckahoe Road. There is no early voting site on Shelter Island. Registered voters in Suffolk can vote at any of the county's 12 early voting sites. Election Day is Nov. 2.
