New York

Election Day: Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Election Day, or until the last person in line at 9:00 PM has voted. 

Absentee voters may vote in person at the County Clerk’s office or by mail no sooner than 40 days before Election Day (45 days for military or overseas voters). Absentee ballots must be received by the County Clerk no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Early voters may vote starting on the tenth day before Election Day, ending on the second day before Election Day (October 29-November 6, 2022).  Early voting polling places are required to be open for at least eight hours between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM during weekdays, must be open until 8:00 PM at least two weekdays per week, and must be open for at least six hours between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM on weekends and holidays.

How to Find Your Polling Place: New York City residents should visit the voters page of the New York City’s Board of Elections website, select “Vote,” and enter their residential address.  Residents of other counties in New York should visit New York’s voter lookup page.  

How to Find Your Polling Place for Early Voting: To find polling places for early voting in New York City, go to New York City’s Board of Elections website.  To find polling places elsewhere in New York state, go to New York’s Board of Elections website.

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in New York if you:

• Are a U.S citizen
• Are a resident of New York
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in New York if:

• You are registered to vote in another state
• You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction.
• A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

People convicted of felonies outside of New York lose the right to vote while incarcerated and while on parole.

You are able to pre-register:

• at the age 16

How to register 

Eligible New York residents may register to vote through the following ways:

Online: The voter may download and print a voter registration form from the New York state board of elections page, www.elections.ny.gov. 

By Phone: The voter may also request a registration form by calling 1-800-FOR-VOTE (1-800-367-8683), and when completed, the form can be mailed to their county board of elections. 

In Person: The voter may register in person at their County Board of Elections or at any NY Agency-Based Voter Registration Center. The voter may submit their registration form in person at the Division of Motor Vehicles or, if they have a DMV-issued identification, on the DMV website.

By Mail: The voter may request a voter registration form by mail by entering their name into the New York state voter registration list here: https://www.elections.ny.gov/VoterRegSite/VoterRegistration 

Accessible forms and Spanish translations are available on the following website:  https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html. 

Once completed, voter registration forms may be mailed to their County Board of Elections.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

All voters may vote early at their early voting polling place.  Voters who wish to vote absentee must expect to be:

• Absent from their county (or, if a resident of New York City absent from the five boroughs) on Election Day.
• Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability (this includes inability to appear because of the risk of contracting or spreading a disease like COVID-19).
• Unable to appear because the voter is the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
• A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital.
• Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

How to Request an Absentee Ballot: Voters request their absentee ballot by letter, telefax, online or in person at their local board of elections.  Downloadable applications are available for New York City and all other New York counties. The board of elections must receive the application no later than fifteen days before Election Day. Voters may request an absentee ballot at their local board of elections until the day before Election Day.

How to Return the Completed Ballot: Voters can complete their absentee ballot by following the following steps:

• Mark the ballot according to their choices for each office.
• Once they have completed marking their ballot, the voter should fold it up and place it in the Security Envelope (this envelope will have a place for the voter’s signature).
• Sign and date the outside of the Security Envelope.
• Seal the Security Envelope.
• Place the Security Envelope in the Return Envelope. 
  • If a New York City voter, insert the Security Envelope so that the barcode is visible through the window in the Return Envelope.
• Seal the Return Envelope

If returning by mail, the voter should add a stamp and mail the ballot, which must be postmarked by Election Day.

Voters may also return their absentee ballot to a polling place during early voting, at the local board of elections, or at a polling place on Election Day. 
How to Find Your Polling Place for Early Voting: To find polling places for early voting in New York City, go to New York City’s Board of Elections website.  To find polling places elsewhere in New York state, go to New York’s Board of Elections website.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in New York you should provide one of the following:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
• Your New York Driver’s License Number
• Your New York non-driver ID number

If you do not have any of these IDs, you can provide a copy of one of the following with your registration application:

• Valid Photo ID
• Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
• Utility Bill
• Government Check
• Bank Statement
• Paycheck that Shows your Current Name and Address

Voting In-Person

If you registered to vote in New York, you may be required to present valid ID if you are voting for the first time or your registration is incomplete. You can use any ID from this list:

• Current and Valid Photo ID
• Valid New York non-driver’s ID
• Paycheck that shows your Current Name and Address
• Utility Bill
• Bank Statement
• Valid New York Driver’s License
• Government Check
• Government Issued Document that shows your Current Name and Address

Registration

Identification is not required when initially registering to vote.  Voters are asked for their New York State DMV number or last four digits of their social security number, but may also state that the voter has neither a New York State DMV number nor a social security number.

To Vote

Voters usually do not need to provide identification to vote. 

For first-time voters who registered by mail on or after January 1, 2003 and did not provide the last four digits of their social security number or New York State DMV number on their voter registration form, voters will be asked to provide any of the following IDs:

• A current driver’s license or a DMV non-driver photo ID or other current and valid photo identification (e.g., student ID, passport), or
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter. 

If the first-time voter who has not provided their social security number or New York State DMV number on their voter registration form does not have identification, the voter can vote by affidavit (provisional) ballot.

Voters who have moved within New York should submit a change of address form to the board of elections at least twenty days before Election Day. Voters who miss this deadline can still vote, see below.

Moving Within the Same County

If the voter has moved in the same Election District, they should go to their polling place, which should be the same as the polling place for their old address, and provide a poll worker with their new address.  

Moving Between Counties
Voters should go to the polling place for their new address and cast an affidavit ballot there. The affidavit ballot should be counted and their address changed in the voter registration records. The voter can find their new polling place by entering their new address in the county board of elections website lookup

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• ID Issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• ID Issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Persons serving in the military are entitled to receive a ballot in all federal, state and local races. U.S. citizens living outside of the United States, whose last address was outside the U.S., are entitled to vote as a special federal voter in New York in federal elections only.  

Military and other overseas citizens may use the standard procedure for absentee voting by mail, but there are also special provisions for members of the U.S. Armed Forces and merchant marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with family members of all these groups, and other citizens who reside outside the United States (together these groups are called UOCAVA voters).

Register to Vote  

Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (www.fvap.gov) to download and complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). 

Receiving an Absentee Ballot

The FPCA can also be used to obtain an absent voter ballot by email, fax or regular mail. 

Each year, go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program; download an  FPCA; complete and submit by postal mail, fax, or scan; and email to the voter’s city or township clerk based on their New York home residence.

Only those voters covered under the UOCAVA are eligible to use the FCPA and receive an absentee ballot by email or fax. Covered voters include:

• A member of a uniformed service on active duty who is absent from his or her city or township of residence. (Voters can be inside or outside the United States.)
• A member of the Merchant Marine who, by reason of service in the Merchant Marine, is absent from their city or township of residence. (The voter can be inside or outside the United States.)
• A spouse or dependent of a member of a uniformed service or a member of the Merchant Marine who, by reason of the active duty or service of the member, is absent from his or her city or township of residence. (The voter can be inside or outside the United States.)
• A civilian voter who is outside the United States and is eligible to vote in New York.
• A member of the National Guard activated on state orders

If a New York resident has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a sentence of imprisonment, they cannot register or vote.  

If a New York resident is in jail, but has not been convicted of a felony, they may register and vote by absentee ballot.

Federal and New York law require that each polling place be accessible to physically disabled voters.  Additionally, at least one machine in each election district must be accessible to persons with disabilities.   A physically disabled voter whose polling place is located in a building that is not accessible shall be entitled to vote in any other election district at a polling place located in a building which is accessible.