Voting in New York
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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.
This page includes the following:
- Voter registration details, including methods of registering and requirements
- Details on voting in elections, including identification requirements, poll times, and primary election type
- Absentee voting rules
- Early voting rules
- Convicted felons' voting rights
- Election administration costs report
- Election agencies list
- Election policy ballot measures list
- Election policy legislation list
Voter registration
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in New York, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county, city, or village for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the date of the election. People who are in prison for a felony conviction and those who have been declared mentally incompetent by a court are ineligible to register to vote. One cannot register to vote in New York while claiming the right to vote elsewhere. Pre-registration is available beginning at the age of 16.[1]
Registration applications are available at the county board of elections or any agency-based voter registration center. Forms are also available online, or prospective voters can request the form by mail.[1] Completed forms returned by mail must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election.
The form must then be received by election officials at least 10 days before the election. A registration done in person must be completed at least 10 days prior to the election.[2] Residents may also register to vote online through the DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application. These applications are forwarded to the board of elections; applicants should allow up to six weeks for processing.[3]
Automatic registration
New York automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through a number of state agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, and others.
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.
Same-day registration
New York does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
In order to register to vote in New York, applicants must reside in the county, city, or village in which they are registering for at least 30 days prior to the election.[4]
Verification of citizenship
New York does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, voter who submits false information "can be convicted and fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to four years."[5]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[6] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The New York State Board of Elections allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voting in elections
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
New York does not require voters to present identification while voting.[7] However, if a voter does not provide valid identification at the time of registration, he or she must show identification at the polling place when voting for the first time[8][9]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- A current, valid photo ID, including but not limited to a drivers' license or a DMV-issued non-driver photo ID
- A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with the voter's name and address
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for primary and general elections. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[10][11]
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.[12][13]
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.[14]
Any registered voter may vote an early mail ballot. To vote an absentee ballot, a voter must be: [14]
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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.[14]
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.[14]
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.[16][17]
Convicted felons' voting rights
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
In New York, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights after serving their prison time. People convicted of a felony need to re-register upon completion of their prison sentence.[18]
On May 4, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed S830 into law, providing for the automatic restoration of voting rights for people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentences. Previously, state law provided for the restoration of voting rights after completion of both prison time and parole.[19][20]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[21]
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.[22]
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New York State Board of Elections, “Voter Registration Process,” accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, “Registration and Voting Deadlines,” accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, “Register to Vote Online - Electronic Voter Registration Application,” accessed April 28, 2023
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Voter Registration Process," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "New York State Voter Registration Form," accessed November 2, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Provisional Ballots," accessed October 7, 2019
- ↑ New York State Senate, “Consolidated Laws, Chapter 17 Section 5-210,” accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Senate, “Consolidated Laws, Chapter 17 Section 8-302,” accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Senate, "Consolidated Laws of New York § 17-8-100," accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Know Your Rights," accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 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
- ↑ New York State Board of Election, "Voting After Incarceration," accessed October 8, 2024
- ↑ New York State Senate, "Senate Bill S830," accessed May 3, 2023
- ↑ NYCourts.gov, "Voting," accessed April 28, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018
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