Ahmed Betula of Henrietta registered to vote for the very first time on the last day voters were able to register in New York state.

“I just [became] a citizen," said Betula.

A big moment for the brand new United States citizen, originally from Somalia.

“Awesome," said Betula. "Very good things."

In Monroe County, the Board of Elections is seeing a growing number of people who are opting to not register with a party, but rather fill in what’s called ‘Blank.’

“That’s the trend for sure," said Monroe County Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Lisa Nicolay. “I do think that some people find it negative to be supportive of a party because they feel like if you support a party, then you support every person that runs with that party line, which clearly isn’t the case. Obviously, if you register in a party you don’t have to vote for all the members of that party on the ballot."

“Whether it's the national trends or local issues, people potentially don't necessarily want to associate themselves with either extreme, or what they might consider extreme," said Monroe County Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner Jackie Ortiz. "And so I do think that people kind of are taking their stance for what they would consider themselves as independent, if you will, and registering as a Blank."

In October 2021, Monroe County had 484,613 registered voters, of which 122,533 were listed as Blank voters. One year later, as of this month, Monroe County had 486,530 more registered voters, 125,977 of which are Blank voters.

That’s an increase of 3,444 Blanks in one year.

So, is the Blank becoming the unofficial new party?

“I don't think so," said Nicolay, "because I don't think that those Blanks agree on anything. I think they just don't want to be affiliated.”

“I hope it's, more than anything, a call to action, a challenge for everyone out there because I think it's important for all parties to be able to energize their base and ensure that they're educating voters on what their platforms are their philosophies and values. And take it as an opportunity to kind of educate and bring people back into the fold. So, I hope people look at it as a positive challenge," said Ortiz.

Fridays marks the last day to register to vote. If necessary, registered voters have until Wednesday, October 19 to make address or party affiliation changes. Early voting starts on October 29.

Both commissioners say whether you’re registered with a party or listed in the Blank category the most important thing is to get out and vote.

“I’m proud to be a citizen and to vote in the United States," said Betula.