The next election in New York is New York General Election on .
More than 1,138 positions are up for election ranging from federal positions including President of the United States to city offices like Ramapo Town Justice.
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.
Get StartedThere may be additional rules or exceptions to the deadlines shown. Please see voting information below for more details.
Online applications must be submitted by
In-person applications must be submitted by
Mail-in applications must be received by
Absentee ballots may be requested in person until
Mail-in requests must be received by
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by
Election Day is
New York does not require that you present an ID when you vote in person on Election Day if you are registered. You do need an ID if you did not provide identification with your registration. As long as you have registered to vote in the precinct and show up at the correct polling place, you should be able to vote. That being said, it never hurts to bring a form of identification to your polling place, just in case!
First time voters must provide identification either on or with their voter registration application. If you have not provided ID by Election Day, you are still allowed to vote by affidavit ballot, but not using the poll site scanner.
According to Vote NYC, you must present one of the following forms of ID at a polling place on Election Day to comply with New York’s voter ID laws:
Acceptable ID includes entering one of the following on your Voter Registration Application:
If you do not provide your driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number on your registration form, you can include a copy of any of the following documentation with your registration application:
It’s extremely important to have the appropriate ID when you go to your polling place to vote. However, if you’re not able to present one of the required forms of identification, ask a poll worker about what options you have to vote via provisional ballot.
A provisional ballot gives you the opportunity to vote when your voter registration is not able to be verified. After Election Day, election officials will attempt to verify that you voted in the correct district. This option is only recommended in exceptional circumstances – for example, you forgot your voter ID and you won’t be able to make it back to your polling place before it closes.
Election Day voting hours are 6 am to 9 pm at all polling places statewide in New York.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 states that election officials conducting federal elections must ensure that each polling place has at least one accessible voting system for individuals with disabilities. This system should provide the same level of privacy and independence as those available to other voters.
Plan ahead by getting in touch with an election authority at the state level to learn more about what specific accommodations are available at your polling place.
For voters in New York, you can find more information on this page from the NY State Board of Elections Public Information Office.
In New York, both absentee ballots and early mail ballots allow voters to vote without going to the polls on Election Day. However, any registered voter can apply for an early mail ballot, while absentee ballots are for voters who meet specific criteria like being absent from their county on Election Day.
Once your application for absentee voting has been accepted, you will continue to automatically receive absentee ballots at your address until you cancel your registration.
In New York, you may qualify to vote absentee if you are:
To apply for an absentee ballot, you can:
If you’re sending your early mail or absentee ballot application through the mail, requests must be received no later than Saturday, October 26, 2024.
If you’re picking up your early mail ballot in-person, you can submit your application up to the day before the election (Monday, November 4, 2024).
For the 2024 New York General Election, you can return your completed ballot by:
If sending your ballot by mail, your county Board of Elections Office must receive it no later than November 12. For New York, the USPS recommends sending your ballot in approximately seven days ahead of the election.
Once you receive the ballot, follow the instructions to mark your choices for each office or measure. Then, fold it up and place it in the Security Envelope, sign and date the outside of the Security Envelope, and seal it.
You can return the ballot by putting it in the mail ensuring it receives a postmark no later than Election Day, or by dropping it off at your county Board of Elections Office or an early voting poll site in your county.
The ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day and must be received by the County Board of Elections no later than 7 days after Election Day.
You can find the closest ballot drop box to you by selecting your county on the New York Ballot Drop Off Locations website.
All early mail ballots in New York include a pre-paid return envelope, so no additional postage is needed.
If your mail ballot is rejected in New York, the most common reasons include signatures not matching and missed deadlines. If both ballots are received before the return deadline, the ballot with the later postmark date is accepted and any other ballots that have been received are rejected, unless the first ballot has already been opened. It’s important to read the ballot instructions carefully and to send it in as early as possible.
You can register to vote in New York by using one of the following methods:
The application is available in English and Spanish.
You can also register to vote on BallotReady.org.
The process of changing your voter registration is similar to registering to vote for the first time. You can update your voter registration online, by mail, or in-person. You can also use BallotReady.org to check your voter registration status.
Remember that the deadline to change your voter registration is 10 days before the election.
The identification that you need to register to vote in New York varies based on the method of registration:
Be prepared with your driver's license number or non-driver ID number or the last four digits of your social security number. If you do not have a driver's license, non-driver ID or social security number you may use a valid photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or some other government document that shows your name and address.
Federal law requires that you provide your driver's license number to register to vote. If you do not have a driver's license then you will have to provide at least the last four digits of your social security number. If you have neither, please write 'NONE' on the form. A unique identifying number will be assigned to you by your State. If you are registering to vote for the first time in your jurisdiction and are mailing this registration application, Federal law requires you to show proof of identification the first time you vote. Proof of identification includes: a current and valid photo identification or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address. You may be exempt from this requirement if you submit a COPY of this identification with your mail in voter registration form.
You will need your New York State DMV issued driver license, permit or Non-Driver ID (the ID must be your most recently issued document), your ZIP Code currently on record with the DMV, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN).
If you’re under the age of 18, you may still be eligible to register to vote! If you can pre-register, you’ll need the following documents:
Be prepared with your driver's license number or non-driver ID number or the last four digits of your social security number. If you do not have a driver's license, non-driver ID or social security number you may use a valid photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or some other government document that shows your name and address.
Federal law requires that you provide your driver's license number to register to vote. If you do not have a driver's license then you will have to provide at least the last four digits of your social security number. If you have neither, please write 'NONE' on the form. A unique identifying number will be assigned to you by your State. If you are registering to vote for the first time in your jurisdiction and are mailing this registration application, Federal law requires you to show proof of identification the first time you vote. Proof of identification includes: a current and valid photo identification or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address. You may be exempt from this requirement if you submit a COPY of this identification with your mail in voter registration form.
You will need your New York State DMV issued driver license, permit or Non-Driver ID (the ID must be your most recently issued document), your ZIP Code currently on record with the DMV, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN).
For more information on voting requirements for your state, make a plan to vote on BallotReady.org.
Residents of New York can check their voter registration status through the following methods:
You can also check your voter registration on BallotReady.org.
In New York, you need to be registered to vote at least 10 days before an election to be eligible to cast a ballot.
For the upcoming New York General Election, your voter registration application must be:
No, New York does not have same-day voter registration. This means you cannot register to vote on Election Day. You must register at least 10 days before an election in order to vote.
No, in New York, you cannot register to vote during early voting. To cast your vote in an election, make sure you’re registered at least 10 days in advance.
New York residents that fit the following criteria are eligible to register to vote:
In New York, you can register to vote, even if you’re under the age of 18! Future voters who are 16 or 17 may pre-register to vote. They will be eligible to vote for the first election after they turn 18.
New York gives voters the option to choose a political party when registering to vote. It is not required to register, but choosing “no party preference” could limit your ability to participate in presidential primary elections and caucuses.
Note: In-person early voting is sometimes referred to as 'in-person absentee', 'over-the-counter voting', 'assisted voting', or other similar titles. These are all essentially the same kind of voting and will be discussed as one in this section.
For the upcoming New York General Election, any registered voter may vote early in person.
In-person early voting may happen in a variety of locations like county election offices, city halls or municipal buildings, public libraries, schools, and community centers. It’s important to note that the availability of early voting can vary significantly by state or even county. They may also change from election to election, so be sure to check your early voting location before you head to the polls.
You can use BallotReady.org to make a plan to vote early and find a specific in-person early voting location, based on your address.
You may also be able to find information on in-person early voting on New York’s Board of Elections website.
For the New York General Election, the dates for in-person early voting are as follows:
Generally, in-person early voting begins 10 days before Election Day and ends 2 days before Election Day. However, it’s worth checking the specific early voting dates for upcoming elections, as these dates can change or differ for local elections.
MIT Election Data + Science Lab. Accessed August 1, 2024.
Voter ID | NYC Board of Elections Accessed August 5, 2024.
Voter Lookup | New York State Board of Elections. Accessed August 5, 2024.
New York Laws Ch 17 Article 8, Title 6. Accessed July 24, 2024.
New York State Board of Elections. Accessed July 21st, 2024.
New York Primary Election was held on .
New York Congressional Special Election was held on .
New York Presidential Primary Election was held on .
New York Congressional Special Election was held on .
New York General Election was held on .
New York Primary Election was held on .
New York Primary Election was held on .
New York General Election was held on .
New York Regular and Presidential Primary Election was held on .
New York 2018 General Election was held on .
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.