During general elections, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

During primary elections, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie. In all other counties, polls open at 12 noon and close at 9p.m.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

How to Find Your Polling Place

Visit the New York State Voter Public Information website.

Contact your County Board of Elections. 

Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Register to Vote

Registration Deadlines

Registration forms must be post-marked no later than 25 days before an election, and received no later than 20 days before an election.

Registration deadline for the September 13, 2012 State and Local Primary Election:

• If you are registering by mail, your application must be postmarked no later than August 17, 2012 and received by a county board of elections no later than August 24, 2012.
• If you are registering to vote in person (at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act), you must do so no later than August 17, 2012.
• If you are already a registered voter and have moved, you must give notice of your change of address to your county board of elections by August 24, 2012.

Registration deadline for the November 6, 2012 General Election:

• If you are registering by mail, your application must be postmarked no later than October 12, 2012 and received by a county board of elections no later than October 17, 2012.
• If you are registering to vote in person (at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act), you must do so no later than October 12, 2012.
• If you have been honorably discharged from the military or have become a naturalized citizen since October 12, 2012, you may register in person at the board of elections until October 26, 2012.
• If you are already a registered voter and have moved, you must give notice of your change of address to your county board of elections by October 17, 2012.

How to Check Your Registration Status

• To verify your registration status, visit the New York State Voter Public Information website or contact your County Board of Elections.  
• Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
  

Eligibility Requirements to Register

To register to vote, you must:

• Be a United States citizen;
• Be 18 years old by November 6, 2012;
• Live at your present address for at least 30 days before the election;
• Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction;
• Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court, and
• Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

Identification Requirements to Register

To register to vote, you must provide either a verifiable New York 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 one of the following:

• A valid photo ID that shows your name and address;
• A current utility bill that shows your name and address;
• A bank statement that shows your name and address;
• A paycheck that shows your name and address; or
• Another government document that shows your name and address.

If you do not provide identification with your registration form, you will be asked for it the first time you vote.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

If You Want to Vote Early

Early voting is not available in New York unless you meet the absentee voting criteria described below.

If You Want to Vote Absentee

You can only vote by absentee ballot if you are or will be:

• Absent from your county (or, if you live in New York City, from that city) on Election Day;
• Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability, or because you are the primary caregiver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled;
• A patient or inmate in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital; or
• Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action, or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

If you meet one of these qualifications and want to vote by absentee ballot, you must submit an application. You can get an application for an absentee ballot at your County Board of Elections, or online.

You can also request an absentee ballot by sending a letter to your County Board of Elections. The County Board of Elections must receive your letter no earlier than 30 days before Election Day, and no later than seven days before Election Day. The letter must contain the following information:

• The address where you are registered;
• The address where the ballot should be sent;
• The reason for the request; and
• The signature of the voter.

If you request an absentee ballot by letter, you will receive an application with your ballot. You must complete this application form and return it with your ballot.

You will receive your absentee ballot no sooner than 32 days before Election Day.

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 you designate 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 subsequent election without applying again. Just check the relevant box on your absentee ballot application, and once it is approved, you will automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election in which you are eligible to vote.

Procedures for Voting by Absentee Ballot

You must mail your completed absentee ballot to your County Board of Elections, postmarked no later than November 5, 2012.

You may also hand-deliver your completed absentee ballot to your County Board of Elections no later than the day before Election Day.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

New York does not require properly registered voters to show ID when they vote in person.

When it is your turn to vote, an election official will ask you for your full name and address, and then will announce your name and residence. You will also be asked to sign your name on the back of your registration poll record. Two poll officials will then compare that signature with the signature on the registration poll record to ensure that the person attempting to vote is the same as the person registered. If the signatures match, you will be permitted to vote.

If you did not provide identification with your voter registration form, you will be asked for it the first time you vote. Forms of "current and valid identification" include but are not limited to:

• A driver's license or department of motor vehicles non-driver photo ID card or other current and valid photo identification;
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

If you do not have any of these forms of ID, then you can only vote by affidavit ballot (unless a court order provides otherwise).

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

If you have moved, you should update your registration by submitting a new voter registration form to your County Board of Elections. You must update your registration address at least 20 days before the relevant election.

If you have not updated your registration within 20 days of the election, and you live in a:

New Address, but have the Same Polling Place 

If you moved to a new address that is covered by the same polling place as your old address, you can vote a regular ballot after confirming your change of address at that polling place. This is true regardless of close to the election you moved.

New Address in Same County or City but have a New Polling Place 

If you moved to a new address within the same county or city but with a different polling place, you can vote at your new polling place by affidavit ballot.

Your affidavit ballot will be counted if election workers confirm you were registered at your old address and voted at the correct polling place for your new address.

New Address in New County or City 

If you moved to a new address in a different county or city, you should complete a new registration form before the registration deadline to update your registration records.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Military and overseas citizens can use New York’s Military and Overseas Voter Registration system to register and vote.

Military and overseas citizens can also use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), also known as Standard Form 76, to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot.  Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) New York-specific FPCA page.

Military and overseas citizens can send and receive voting materials by fax and email.  If you wish to use the fax or email options, you must indicate this on your FPCA.  Instructions for doing so can be found on the FVAP's website.

Military and overseas citizens can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) if they are concerned about receiving their printed ballot and returning it by 11/19/2012 (postmarked by 11/5/2012).  The FWAB is a blank ballot on which voters write in their choices. 

Military and overseas citizens can also use the FWAB to register to vote and to apply for the absentee ballot, all in one step.  Please not that FWAB voter registrations must be received by the voter registration deadline. For specific instructions, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program's New York-specific FPCA page

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

If you have been convicted of a felony, or a crime that would constitute a felony under New York State law, you cannot vote unless you have been pardoned, your maximum sentence has expired, or you have been discharged from parole.  Before you can vote, you must re-register.

For more information, visit the State Board of Elections website.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

FAQ

Manual

Voter Checklist

For more information for voters with mental disabilities, visit The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and National Disability Rights Network’s document: “Voting Rights Guide for People with Mental Disabilities”

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!