State of New York Voting Requirements & Information

Statewide Voter Information

 

U.S. Domestic Voters

Federal and State Elections

New York General Election held on Tue Nov 3, 2020

Type

Deadlines

New Voter Registration
  • Postmarked by Fri Oct 9, 2020
  • In-Person Request by Fri Oct 9, 2020
  • Post received by Wed Oct 14, 2020

Absentee Ballot Request
  • Postmarked by Tue Oct 27, 2020
  • In-Person Request by Mon Nov 2, 2020

Absentee Ballot Return
  • Postmarked by Tue Nov 3, 2020
  • In-Person, Received by Tue Nov 3, 2020 9:00pm EST
  • Post received by Tue Nov 10, 2020

Early Voting

 Sat Oct 24, 2020 - Sun Nov 1, 2020
All registered voters in New York may request an absentee ballot due to risk or concern of illness, including COVID-19, for the Nov 3, 2020, general election.

Registration

You can register to vote or update your registration information:

  • online
  • by mail
  • in person at your elections office

You must have resided in your precinct at least 30 days prior to the election in which you intend to vote.

Election Day Voting

Polling places are open from 6am to 9pm in General Elections.

Polling places are open from 6am to 9pm in Primary Elections in New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie. Polling places are open from 12pm to 9pm in Primary Elections in all other counties.

Find my polling place

Absentee Voting

  • For November 3, 2020 General Election:
  • All voters may request a ballot due to risk or concern of illness, including COVID-19, to themselves or others. In this case, voters should indicate "illness" as their reason for requesting the ballot.
  • Voters may apply for an absentee ballot immediately. Apply as soon as possible.

In order to vote absentee in New York you must indicate one of the following conditions:

  • You are absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City, absent from the city on Election Day
  • You are unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability
  • You are unable to appear at the polls because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled
  • You are a patient or inmate in a Veterans' Administration Hospital
  • You are detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony

You are able to pre-register if:

  • You will be 18 by December 31st of the year in which you register.

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 have been legally declared "mentally incompetent" by a court
  • You are registered to vote in another state
  • You are in prison or detention or jail or penal institution
  • Have been convicted of a felony and are on parole

Student Eligibility

If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in New York if:

  • You reside in New York but are attending college in another state
  • You reside in another state but attend college in New York

Voter Registration

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

  • Learner's Permit
  • The 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:

  • 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

Domestic Voter

 In-Person Mail Fax Email Online

Voter Registration

 - -

Absentee Ballot Request

 - - -

Blank Ballot To Voter

 - - -

Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

 - - -

Overseas & Military Voters

New York General Election held on Tue Nov 3, 2020

Type

Deadlines
Overseas Military

Absentee Voter Registration

 Received by Fri Oct 9, 2020 Received by Sat Oct 24, 2020

Ballot Request for Registered Voter

 Post received by Tue Oct 27, 2020
  • Post received by Tue Oct 27, 2020
  • In-Person Request by Mon Nov 2, 2020

Ballot Return
  • Postmarked by Tue Nov 3, 2020
  • Post received by Mon Nov 16, 2020
  • Postmarked by Tue Nov 3, 2020
  • Post received by Wed Nov 18, 2020
All registered voters in New York may request an absentee ballot due to risk or concern of illness, including COVID-19, for the Nov 3, 2020, general election.

Overseas Voters

U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:

  • Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.

Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.

Military Voters

Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.

  • If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.

To vote as a service member or eligible family member:

  • Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.

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

Overseas Voter

 In-Person Mail Fax Email Online

Voter Registration

 - -

Absentee Ballot Request

 - -

Blank Ballot To Voter

 - -

Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

 - - - -
If you submit your voter registration/ballot request form via fax or email, you MUST follow-up and mail in a hard copy of the form. A "wet" signature is required.

Military Voter

 In-Person Mail Fax Email Online

Voter Registration

 - -

Absentee Ballot Request

 - -

Blank Ballot To Voter

 - -

Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

 - - - -
If you submit your voter registration/ballot request form via fax or email, you MUST also send a hard copy of the original form by postal mail. A "wet" signature is required.

 

Register to Vote   Request Absentee Ballot