Absentee voting is available if you meet any of the criteria below. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 15 days before an Election if requested by letter/fax/online and one day before an election if requested in person. To be counted, an absentee ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and must reach the board of elections no more than seven days after the election. You may drop off your absentee ballot in person on Election Day.
You are eligible for an absentee ballot if:
You are unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day
Unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability (or a primary care giver of individuals who are ill or physically disabled)
Are a patient in a Veterans Administration Hospital
Detained in jail awaiting grand jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.
Applications for absentee ballots are available from your county board of elections.
If you cannot pick up your ballot, or will not be able to receive it through the mail, you have the right to designate someone to pick it up for you. Only the person designated on your application may pick up and deliver your ballot.
If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to receive an absentee ballot for each future elections without further application. You should file an application with your board of elections containing a statement which describes the particulars of your illness or disability. The board will review the facts stated, and if satisfied, will mark your registration record. You will then automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election until your registration is canceled.
You may also request an absentee ballot by sending a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must contain the following information:
The address where you are registered
An address where the ballot is to be sent
The reason for the request
The signature of the voter
An application form will be mailed with your ballot. The application form must be completed and returned with your ballot. Ballots will begin being sent out 46 days before the election.
Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Due to a new law in New York State, if you request an absentee ballot and wish to vote in person instead, you will be asked to vote a provisional that will only be counted if your absentee ballot never gets sent in.
Request your BallotFor information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.
For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.
Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.
Voted absentee ballots can be returned at any polling place, early voting location, or County Board of Elections office without a wait. Click here for more information.
Early voting begins 10 days before the election and continues through two days before the election (not voting the day before Election Day). Many counties have multiple voting sites available. Each voting site has different hours, so check here to determine the best voting site for you.
In NYC, voters must go to the early voting poll site based on their address. Find the early voting poll site for NYC voters here.
The next election date can be found here https://www.vote411.org/new-york.
Contact your local Board of Elections for more information.
To be eligible to vote, you must be:
Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens:
In New York, you only lose your right to vote if you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. If you lost your voting rights because of a conviction, you could register to vote immediately after release. Your voting rights are not restricted by pretrial detention, misdemeanors, probation, or parole.
Voters without traditional residence:
In New York, it is not mandatory for citizens to possess a "permanent home" for voter registration. A citizen can provide an alternative description of their residence, even if they are experiencing homelessness, as long as it enables the authorities to identify and assign a voting precinct to them. This precinct assignment ensures that the voter receives the appropriate ballot. The mailing address on their registration form can be a PO box, local shelter, advocacy organization, outreach center, or the home of someone who will accept mail for them.
To register to vote you must have either a verifiable state driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not have either of these, and you are registering for the first time by mail, you may provide a copy of another acceptable form of ID.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
If you do not provide identification with this form, you will be asked for it the first time you vote. Forms of current and valid photo identification include but are not limited to:
If you are a new voter who is registering by mail, you will be required to show identification when you go to vote for the first time. If you are already registered at the board of elections or a state agency, you should not have to show identification at the polls. It is advisable for all new voters to bring identification when voting for the first time.
Acceptable IDs to to vote are:
Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline
Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.
As always, unofficial results (including early voting and election day voting) will be posted on your county’s Board of Elections website following the close of polls on Election Day. Early votes and election day votes will be counted on Election Day.
Official ResultsYou are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
You can ensure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections. Become a poll worker today!
To be a poll worker in New York:
Note: Interpreters do not need to be registered voters.
To sign up visit your state's resource or contact your local board of elections.
Polling places will be open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm.
You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.
If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your local board of elections.
New York is a “closed primary” state. In order to vote in the primary election, voters must be registered with a political party. Unaffiliated or independent voters are not able to participate in the primary.
If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.
Provisional voting is available and ballots are counted no more than 4 days after the Election.
Provisional voting is available if the ballot was cast in the correct precinct.
Most polling places are now accessible to the handicapped. If yours is not, you may ask to have your records transferred to a nearby accessible polling place where the ballot will be the same as in your election district. You may also vote by absentee ballot. If you have a long-term or permanent illness or disability, you can apply for a permanent absentee ballot and you will automatically receive one before each primary and general election. For additional information, please visit your state's Board of Election.
For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.
Beginning in 2021, New York City will use a new Ranked Choice Voting system for the Primary and Special Elections. Voters will vote for up to 5 candidates in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, etc.). If you would like to just vote for 1 candidate you may still do so, but each candidate may only have one ranking. For more information please contact the New York City Board of Elections.
You can register any time during the year, your form must be delivered or mailed at least 25 days before the next election for it to be effective for that election. Please contact the New York State Board of Elections for specific times and locations.
You may be able to register to vote online! If you are currently in the DMV system you may be able to register and/or update your registration online. You will need:
If you do not have a New York driver's license you can use the paper form to complete your registration.
Not registered? Use our registration tool to fill out your application!
Employees are allowed to take off up to two hours of work, without loss of pay, to allow for time to vote. You may take the time off at the beginning or end of your working shift, as your employer may designate, or as otherwise mutually agreed.
You must tell your employed no less than two days before Election Day that you plan to take time off to vote.
To verify your voter registration status
click here!The voting machine systems used in New York are Imagecast, ES&S DS200, ES&S Automark, Shoup Lever Machine and AVM Lever Machine.
Imagecast: the most accessible machine - audio and tactile interfaces, voters can listen to the options over headphones or view an LCD screen with an image of the ballot that can be adjusted for size and contrast. A "Sip-N-Puff" is also available for those voters with limited hand dexterity.
ES&S DS200: a portable electronic voting system that uses an optical scanner to read marked paper ballots and tally the results. These results are tabulated at the polling place and notifications are sent out immediately of any voting errors.
ES&S Automark: a voting machine designed for those that are blind, vision impaired, or another visual disability that would make it hard or impossible for them to make a ballot. Furthermore, the machine provides language assistance to those who speak English as a secondary language or for those who have reading difficulties. This machine is also equipped with the "Sip-N-Puff" voting device.
You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the voting machine summary of the New York State Board of Elections.
Board of Elections
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5th Floor
Albany 12207
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