• be a United States citizen;
• be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18);
• resident of this state and the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election;
• 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;
  ‍Notice of Felon Registration Rights ( pdf 134KB)
  ‍Notice on Felon Registration ( pdf 87.8KB)
  ‍FAQ Your Right to Vote After Release ( pdf 151KB)
  
• not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;
• not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

You may register at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year. Alternatively, you can download a .pdf version of the Voter Registration Form from our website, and mail it to your county board of elections. You may also submit your voter application form at the Department of Motor Vehicles, either in person or on their web site if you already have DMV-issued identification.

Unsure if you are already registered to vote, please check here.

Change of Name and/or Address
The voter registration form should be used as a change of address form. Notices of change of address from registered voters received at least 15 days before a special, primary or general election by a county board of elections must be processed and entered in the records in time for that election.

Change of Party Enrollment
The voter registration form should be used to change your party enrollment from one party to another or to enroll for the first time in a party. An application to change one's party enrollment for the primary election in any year must be received by the board of elections no later than February 14th of that year. Changes received on or after February 15th until seven days after the June Primary will be set aside and opened seven days following the June Primary and entered in the voter's registration record. Please see Deadlines referenced above.

How to Request a Voter Registration Card
Please contact your local county Board of Elections for a new voter card, they are issued at the local level. Contact information for all local boards is available at the county board of elections page. (If you live in the 5 boroughs of New York City, please send your request here: ElectionInfo@boe.nyc.)

How to Cancel Your Registration
In order to have your name removed from the voting rolls, pursuant to N.Y. Election Law section 5-400, you must send a written letter to the local board of elections where you lived requesting to have your registration cancelled. You must send a written letter, you cannot accomplish this via email. Contact information for all local boards is available at the county board of elections page.

An absentee ballot is a voting option that allows registered voters who are unable to physically visit a polling station on Election Day to still participate in the democratic process. This ballot enables individuals to cast their votes by mail, providing a convenient solution for those who are away from their registered voting location, have physical disabilities, are serving in the military, or have other valid reasons for not being able to vote in person.

To use an absentee ballot, eligible voters typically need to request one from their local election authorities in advance. Once received, the voter can mark their choices on the ballot, following the provided instructions carefully. The completed ballot is then sealed and returned to the designated election office by mail or in accordance with the specified guidelines. It's important to adhere to deadlines and requirements outlined by local election officials to ensure the ballot is counted.

Using an absentee ballot is an essential way to ensure that every eligible citizen's voice is heard, regardless of their physical location or circumstances on Election Day.

To learn more about qualifications, applying for an absentee ballot and casting an absentee ballot, click here.

N.Y. Election Law (5-508) allows victims of domestic violence to apply for a confidential registration by delivering a sworn statement to their local county Board of Elections stating they are a victim of domestic violence and they wish to have their voter registration record kept confidential because of the threat of physical or emotional harm to themselves or a family or household member. Their voter registration record will be kept separate and apart from other registration records for four years and not be made available for inspection or copying by the public or any other person, except election officials acting within the course and scope of their official duties. Under a separate section of the law (11-306), they can also be excused from going to their polling place to vote and get a special ballot. For further information, please contact your local board of elections for their confidential registration and special ballot procedures.

If you wish to file a complaint or inquire about enforcement action you may contact the Enforcement Counsel at:

Division of Election Law Enforcement
NYS Board of Elections
40 North Pearl Street
Albany, NY 12207
518-486-7858
‍enforcement@elections.ny.gov

Look up your voter registration and find your polling place or contact your county board of elections.