New York

Welcome to the New York state page! Here, New York organizers can access and document ongoing projects, current leadership positions, upcoming races, and other important information. This list is non-exhaustive, and state teams are encouraged to expand and adapt these pages to their organizing needs.

Qualifications to Register to Vote

• be a United States citizen;
• be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18);
• resident of this state and the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election;
• not be in prison for a felony conviction;
  • Notice of Felon Registration Rights ( pdf 134KB)
  • Notice on Felon Registration ( pdf 87.8KB)
  • FAQ Your Right to Vote After Release (pdf 151KB)
• not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;
• not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

ID Requirements:

Registered voters do not need to show ID to vote, unless they did not provide identification with their registration.

First time voters must provide identification either on or with their voter registration application. If you have not provided ID by Election Day, you are still allowed to vote by affidavit ballot, but not using the poll site scanner.

Acceptable ID includes entering one of the following on your Voter Registration Application:

• Driver's license number
• Non-driver's ID number
• Last four digits of your social security number

If you do not provide your driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number on your registration form, you can include a copy of any of the following documentation with your registration application:

• Current and Valid Photo ID
• Current Utility Bill
• Bank Statement
• Government Check or Paycheck
• Government Document that shows Name and Address

How and Where to Register to Vote (Deadlines)

• You can register to vote online using the New York State Board of Elections' Online Voter Registration portal.
• You can register in person at your county board of elections or at any New York State Agency-Based voter registration center.
• You may also submit your voter application form at the Department of Motor Vehicles, either in person or on their web site if you already have DMV-issued identification.
• You can request a New York State Voter Registration form by mail by entering your name directly into our mailing list database.
• You can call our 1-800-FOR-VOTE (1-800-367-8683) hotline to request a voter application.

Absentee Voting

Qualifications to Vote by Absentee Ballot (Deadlines)

1. Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City absents from the five boroughs, on Election Day.
2. Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability.
3. Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
4. A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital.
5. In jail or prison for any reason other than a felony conviction. This includes anyone who is awaiting grand jury action, awaiting trial, or serving a sentence for a misdemeanor.

How to Cast an Absentee Ballot

1. Once you receive the ballot, mark the ballot according to your choices for each office following the instructions on the ballot.
2. Once you have completed marking your ballot fold it up and place it in the Security Envelope. (This envelope will have a place for your signature.)
3. Sign and date the outside of the Security Envelope.
4. Seal the Security Envelope.
5. All absentee ballots include a pre-paid Return Envelope. Place the Security Envelope in the Return Envelope. (This envelope will have the return address of your county Board of Elections on the outside and should have a logo that reads, “Official Election Mail”.) The Return Envelope does not require any additional postage.
6. Seal the Return Envelope.

Ballot Curing

If there is a mistake with your absentee ballot (vote-by-mail ballot) you have time to cure the ballot. When the board of elections detects a curable problem, they must notify the voter in one day to fill out the notification form and send it to the voter’s address listed on their registration and send it via email and attempt to reach them by phone. If they provide any email while talking on the phone send the notification to their email.

What makes a ballot eligible to be cured is:

• the affirmation envelope is unsigned.
• the affirmation envelope signature does not correspond to the registration signature and thus does not appear to verify the voter. (Please note that there are specific instructions regarding signature matching below.)
• the affirmation envelope does not have the required complete witness to a mark
•  the ballot is returned without an affirmation envelope in the return envelope (in some instances the voter may not be discernable)