Frequently Asked Questions About Voting

You only need to show ID if you are voting for the first time and you did not supply a DMV or Social Security Number when you registered. Acceptable forms of ID include a government-issued photo ID, paycheck, or utility bill.

Your registration has no expiration date. Check your registration status online at vote.org. (You will need to enter your address, name, date of birth, and email address.)

Students who maintain a residence outside of New York State can register at their permanent address. However, you cannot be registered in 2 places at once.

Rules about length of residency are set by individual states. In New York State, it is 30 days prior to the election.

This fall, all New York State voters can vote by mail due to the risk of contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19). You can request your ballot online. Select “temporary illness or disability” as the reason for your request.

You can also vote by absentee ballot if you are unable to get to your polling place on Election Day; temporary or permanent illness or physical disability; hospitalization; duties related to primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or disabled; or detention in a veterans administration hospital, jail, or prison, awaiting trial or action by a grand jury, or in prison for a conviction of a crime or offense that was not a felony.

Note: the post office cannot guarantee timely delivery of ballots applied for less than 15 days before an election.

First, you must request a mail-in or absentee ballot (link below for NYS application). If you qualify, the BOE will send you an absentee ballot with two envelopes, an inner envelope for you to sign and date and an outer envelope which has the BOE’s address on it.

Read the instructions on your ballot carefully as they are subject to change.

Your polling location will depend on the county for which you are registered. Visit vote.org to identify your polling location.

You have the right to request and receive assistance from anyone of your choice while you are at the polls. You can also ask any of the poll workers at your poll site for help, or ask to use the ballot marking device (BMD). You can use the BMD either to see the ballot on a display screen or listen to your choices through headphones.

You also have the right to vote absentee if you’re unable to get to the polls.

You may register and vote if you were convicted of a felony and for that felony:

You may not register to vote or cast a vote if you have been convicted of a felony and you are currently incarcerated or under parole supervision for that felony.