ALBANY — If you’re eager to get a jump on voting this year, you’ll soon get the chance.

The local elections this fall will serve as a test run for the state's adoption of early voting, which was authorized earlier this year by the state Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. It will be required for all future municipal, state and federal elections.

Polling sites for early voting will be open from Saturday, Oct. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 3, with hours varying each day. New York joins 38 other states that have sought to expand access to the polls by allowing voters to cast their ballot before Election Day.

"We really don't know what to expect," said Rensselaer County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Jason Schofield.

Working out the kinks

Early voting will also be a learning experience for participating voters, who will experience different polling hours and likely won't be able to cast their ballot at their normal polling location. Additionally, the traditional sign-in books will be replaced by an electronic option.

But some things won't change: Pre-registration is still required to vote; regular polling sites will be open on Election Day, and votes can't be changed after a ballot is cast (even if you vote early).

Under the new state law, each county was allowed to choose its polling sites for early voting. With only one site required per 50,000 voters, though, the early voting sites will be far fewer than the locations available on Election Day, which is a relief to local boards of elections tasked with finding secure and accessible locations they could commandeer for nine days.

RELATED: A list of early voting locations in the Capital Region

Voters in Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties can use any of the selected polling sites, while voters in Albany County must use assigned locations unless they go to the county board of elections' office in the city of Albany.

While each county can set its own polling hours — as long as they're in compliance with minimum requirements in the state law — the election officials in the Capital Region worked together to set up the same schedule.

Early voting hours in the Capital Region

Early voting day Voting hours Saturday, Oct. 26 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Details on when and where early voting is possible are available on local boards of elections websites and through an online portal created by the League of Women Voters of New York State.

With voter turnout likely to be much higher next year — when the presidential race is on the ballot — local boards of elections are using this first experience to hone the process, as they assess their polling site choices and the implementation of new technology.

"We're hoping to use this year for great data collection," said Schenectady County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Amy Hild.

Schenectady County election officials are hoping they have laid the groundwork for a lot of people to vote early, as it would make Election Day easier if there is lower demand. Based on data from other states, they're anticipating between 10 and 20 percent of their voter turnout will come before Election Day.

It's not clear, though, that the nine extra days of voting will drive up overall turnout, as studies in other states have shown mixed results.

Early voting locations

The Rensselaer County Board of Elections has drawn criticism from community groups and the New York Civil Liberties Union for choosing early voting sites at the Brunswick and Schodack town halls, while not placing one in Troy, where about a quarter of the county's registered voters live.

NYCLU Capital Region Director Melanie Trimble is worried that the site selections undermine the intent of the law by not catering to Troy, which has a majority of the county's low-income, minority and college student voters, who traditionally have the most difficult time getting to the polls on Election Day

Schofield believes those concerns are overblown, as he hasn't heard any interest in early voting while going door-to-door campaigning. He also noted that Troy has more than a dozen polling locations on Election Day.

"The city of Troy is definitely part of the county, but it's not all of the county," Schofield said.

The decision of the Saratoga County Board of Elections to use its offices in Ballston Spa, the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library and Gavin Park in Wilton has also been questioned by NYCLU, which would like to see a polling place in Saratoga Springs because of the city's college student population. The three locations were chosen by the board to strike a geographic balance.

Schenectady County, which has the lowest ratio of voters per early voting site in the Capital Region, spread its four polling locations among the population centers and along public transportation routes to ensure the most flexibility for county residents and to stay in compliance with the state law.

"You could argue that this is a model for other counties to follow," Trimble said.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87