Voting in New York
|
|
 |
| Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its election administration. |
Voting policies are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which American citizens cast their ballots in their individual states.
Voter registration
To vote in New York, one must be a United States citizen who will be 18 years old by the date of the next election. Also, a voter must have been a resident of his or her state county, city, or village for at least 30 days prior to the election. A voter can request a registration application in person at the county board of election or any New York state agency-based voter registration center. Forms are also available by mail, by telephone, or online.[1]
If returned by mail, a registration form must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election. The form must then be received by election officials at least 20 days before the election. A registration done in person must be completed at least 25 days prior to the election, as well.[2]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
New York has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Voting in elections
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
In New York, a voter does not have to present identification at the polls.[3]
Thirty-six states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 14 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.
Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
For primary elections, polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. in New York City and the counties of Dutchess, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Erie. Polls open at 12:00 p.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. in all other counties. Polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. for general elections. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[4]
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in New York
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New York utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[5][6]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Absentee voting
- See also: Absentee voting
New York offers early mail voting and absentee voting.[7]
Any registered voter may vote an early mail ballot. To vote an absentee ballot, a voter must be: [7]
| “ |
|
” |
Applications for early mail ballots and absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections at least ten days before an election, unless the application is submitted in person by the day before the election.[7]
Early mail ballots and absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the county board of elections by the seventh day after the election. Ballots may be returned in person to the county board of elections by the close of polls on Election Day or to a polling place during the early voting period or on Election Day.[7]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill into law on January 24, 2019, establishing a 10-day early voting period. The bill was scheduled to take full effect on January 1, 2020.[9][10]
Convicted felons' voting rights
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
Voting rights for convicted felons vary from state to state. In the majority of states, convicted felons cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[11][12][13]
| Felon voting rights in New York | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Felon voting rights | |||
Election administration costs
National Conference of State Legislatures report, 2018
On February 14, 2018, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a report on the costs of election administration in the states: "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections." The report's authors noted that "no one knows how much [states] spend on elections ... [because] good research on election costs is slim." Generally, local units of government (most often counties, but sometimes cities and towns) are primarily responsible for election administration costs, though states and the federal government may also contribute. The report identified the states listed in the table below as assuming financial responsibility for at least some aspects of election administration.[14]
To access the complete NCSL report, click here.
| Election administration costs assumed by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State pays all expenses for federal or state elections | State bears a portion of election costs | State pays for statewide special elections or statewide elections that don’t coincide with regularly scheduled elections | State pays for primary elections (statewide, presidential, or both) |
| Alaska Delaware |
Alabama Colorado Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Rhode Island |
Arkansas Florida Iowa Michigan Missouri New Jersey North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Washington West Virginia |
Arizona Arkansas Idaho Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington |
| Note: If a state is not listed above, it was not included in the report. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018 | |||
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in New York can contact the following state and federal agencies.
New York State Board of Elections
- 40 Steuben St.
- Albany, New York 12207-2108
- Main phone: 518-474-6220
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 1335 East West Highway, Suite 4300
- Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- Telephone: 866-747-1471
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked no ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in New York
Election policy legislation
The following is a list of recent election bills that have been introduced in or passed by the New York state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New York voting. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
Elections in New York
- New York elections, 2018
- New York elections, 2017
- New York elections, 2016
- New York elections, 2015
- New York elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Register to Vote," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Voter Registration Deadlines," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "New York State Database Regulations," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Senate, "Consolidated Laws of New York § 17-17-102," accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 New York State Board of Elections, "Request a Ballot," accessed August 16, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ NY 1, "It's Official: Early Voting is Coming to New York," January 24, 2019
- ↑ New York State Senate, "Voting Package Summary and Analysis," January 14, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," July 15, 2014
- ↑ American Civil Liberties Union, "State Criminal Re-enfranchisement Laws," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Restoring the Right to Vote by State," March 27, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018
 |
State of New York Albany (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
