Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible to register to vote?
In order to register to vote you must:
- be a United States citizen;
- be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18);
- be a 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;
- not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;
- and not claim the right to vote elsewhere.
Am I already registered to vote? How can I find out?
You can check your voter registration status online, or by calling the Board of Elections at 866-868-3692.
How do I to register to vote?
- You can register in-person at your county board of elections, at any Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”) office or a number of New York State Agency-Based voter registration centers.
- If you have a NY state ID from the DMV you can register online. If you do not have a DMV ID you can choose to receive a pre-filled form and a postage-paid, addressed envelope, or you can print the pre-filled form and mail it immediately. The registration will not be complete until this form is mailed to and processed by the Board of Elections.
- You can request a voter registration form by mail.
- You can call 1-800-FOR-VOTE (1-800-367-8683) hotline to request a voter application.
What if I have moved since the last time I voted?
If a change of address was not processed (or never submitted), and you have moved within New York State, you may cast an affidavit ballot at your assigned poll site for your new address. When casting an affidavit ballot because of an address change, the affidavit ballot will be used to update your voter registration for future elections. The most important thing is that you find the polling site for your new address and vote.
How do I apply for a mail-in/absentee ballot?
To have a ballot mailed to your home or elsewhere, you must request a ballot in the following ways:
REMINDER: If you request an absentee ballot, you MAY NOT vote in-person unless you do so by affidavit.
How do I know if my mail-in/absentee ballot was received by the Board of Elections?
You can use the online ballot tracker to locate your ballot at any stage in the process! Including when it has been received by the Board of Elections.
Do I have to be enrolled in a party to vote in New York Primary Elections?
New York State is a Closed Primary State, which means that you may ONLY vote in a party’s primary election if you are enrolled in that party. People who vote in primary elections have a voice in determining who is on the November ballot.
Do I have to bring an ID to vote?
New York does not require voters to show identification when voting, except in one circumstance. If you are voting for the first time, and you did not register to vote in-person (i.e., you registered online or via mail), you may be asked to show your ID the first time you vote only. You may use the following as ID: driver’s license or another government-issued identification card, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or another government document that shows your name and address.
Do I have any options if I want to vote in-person but cannot use a pen to complete the paper ballot?
Yes, you can bring someone to assist you, request assistance from the poll workers, or use a Ballot Marking Device (“BMD”) to mark your ballot at the polling site. However, anyone who assists you cannot be your employer or union representative.
What is a Ballot Marking Device?
A Ballot Marking Device, also known as a BMD, is a device that can assist you in marking your paper ballot and is designed to provide privacy and accessibility to voters at their polling site.
Can I use a Ballot Marking Device?
Yes. All voters, including voters with disabilities, have the right to use a Ballot Marking Device to mark their ballot. The BMD is only used to mark the paper ballot; you need to scan the marked ballot in the counting device to cast your vote. Poll site workers can help voters use the BMDs.
