New York | Voting Guide
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
By Mail Voter Registration Deadline: postmarked no later than 25 days before Election Day, received no later than 20 days before Election Day
In-Person Voter Registration Deadline: 25 days before Election Day.
Change of Address Deadline: 20 days before Election Day.
2020
Presidential Primary In-Person Registration/Registration By Mail Deadline: May 29
Presidential Primary: June 23
State Primary Election Registration Deadline: May 29
State Primary Election: June 23
General Election Registration Deadline: October 9 (postmarked)
General Election: November 3
Official Election Websites
More election information at www.elections.ny.gov/
Mail-in Voter Registration Form: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteregform-eng-fillable.pdf
Register at School or Home
Students have a choice about where to register to vote.
Students attending college may register at their campus address or choose to remain registered or register at their permanent or home address.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
New York’s voter registration form asks for your New York State DMV number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Most voters do not need an ID to vote. First-time voters who registered by mail may be asked to present ID when voting in person if election officials cannot match their New York State DMV number or Social Security number and they did not include a copy of a valid ID with their registration application. Voters may submit the following types of ID:
Current and Valid Photo ID
Current Utility Bill
Bank Statement
Government Check or Paycheck
Government Document that shows name and address.
Voters who lack an acceptable form of ID may vote by affidavit ballot. Once you have registered to vote and verified your identity, no further ID is required to vote.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/
How Can I Vote?
2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, any New York voter is eligible for an absentee ballot due to the risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease by checking the “temporary illness” box on the absentee ballot application form.
You can request an absentee ballot by returning the absentee ballot application to your local Board of Elections Office in person or by mail up until the day prior to an Election. You can request an absentee ballot over the phone, fax, or email by contacting your local county officials.
By Mail
New York allows voters with an excuse to vote absentee. Voters are eligible to vote absentee if they will be:
Absent from their county of registration on Election Day (or, if registered in New York City, absent from city on Election Day)
Temporarily or permanently disabled or the primary caretaker of a temporarily or permanently disabled person
A resident or patient of a Veteran’s Health Administration Hospital
Detained in jail awaiting trial or confined in prison for a non-felony offense
Absentee ballot applications must be delivered in person by the day before the election or postmarked no later than seven days before the election.
Complete absentee ballots must be received in person by the close of polls on Election Day or postmarked no later than the day before the election and received no later than the 7th day after the election.
Early In-Person
Any registered voter is eligible to vote early in-person during the early voting period.
Early voting in New York is available at designated early voting sites from 10 days before the election through the 2nd day before the election.
2020 Early Voting Period:
General Election: October 24 – November 1
Election Day
Voting sites will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time then you have the right to vote.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in New York affect my driver’s license or car registration?
As a full-time student in New York, you may have to make these changes regardless of whether you register to vote in New York. For more information, contact the New York Department of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed New York legal professional.
Last updated August 2020
