NY Voter Information for the 2020 General Election

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You are currently viewing a revision titled "NY Voter Information for the 2020 General Election", saved on September 29, 2020 at 12:44 pm by Lindsey Kayman
Title
NY Voter Information for the 2020 General Election
Content
NY Voting Information                                               Translate  Español    
Information for New York voters regarding the November 3, 2020 General Election
Table of Contents
Deadlines
October 9: Last day to register to vote. It can be done online, in person, or envelope postmarked. October 27: Last day to postmark application for absentee ballot. November 2: Last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot. November 3: Last day to postmark absentee ballot. November 3: Last day to deliver absentee ballot in person at board of elections.
The Easiest Way to Vote in New York in the Nov 3, 2020 General Election
Register to vote by October 9. Apply for an Absentee Ballot, fill it out, and mail it to your County Board of Elections.
Mistakes that Stop You from Voting or Your Vote from Counting
  • Not registering to vote in time by October 9th.
  • Forgetting to sign your mail-in ballot.
  • The signature on your absentee ballot must match your previous signature. (If something has caused your handwriting to change, notify your county election office).
  • Forgetting to enclose your absentee ballot in the inner secrecy envelope and then the outer envelope.
Voter Registration: ➛ Check your voter registration status  Register to vote/update your registration
Additional Options for Registering to Vote:  
  • If you are unable or unwilling to go to the county election office and you don't have stamps and an envelope to mail in your voter registration form, ask your campus voting coordinator for help
Registering to Vote outside of NY
Online registration is available for 40 states plus the District of Columbia.
Early Voting October 24-November 1

In Person: Early voting locations Use an Absentee Ballot   You will not automatically be sent an absentee ballot. If you want one you must apply for it.  You can return your absentee ballot in person. If you mail it, your absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 3, to be counted. 

Apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to you in the following languages:  English       Spanish       Chinese      Korean     Bengali

As of September 12, ballot drop boxes ARE NOT being made available for submission of absentee ballots.

Track your ballot! ➛ Check the status of your Absentee Ballot Application Check if an Absentee Ballot has been mailed out to you.  ➛ Track your Ballot Check if your mailed in ballot has been received. If it has not been received by election day, you can vote in person. The Board of Elections is required to check the poll book before canvassing any absentee ballot. If the voter comes to the poll site on Election Day or during early voting and votes in person, the absentee ballot is set aside and not counted. (source)
Election Day Voting, Tuesday, November 3 Voting sites (polls) will be open from 6 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time then you must be allowed to vote.
Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can students vote at their temporary college address?  What about others who will not be at home to vote? 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. Absentee ballot applications have a space where you can indicate where the ballot should be mailed.  Online registration is available for 40 states plus the District of Columbia. USA.gov has instructions for voting by absentee ballot in  US states  2. What if I recently moved? If you move within NY State, you may need to re-register. In 2019, NY passed a law permitting statewide voter registration transfers, also known as “Registration Portability.” The law allows the Board of Elections to transfer your registration and enrollment information to wherever you move within the state. This enables you to vote on an affidavit (paper) ballot if you move to a new county even if it has not received your change of address information. Your affidavit ballot will be counted once the Board of Elections verifies your voter registration. It is strongly recommended, however, that if you move, you still submit a voter registration form with your new information or visit MyDMV to change your registration online.  3. What ID will I need to register to vote? See the online registration form, which is available from the NY Department of Motor Vehicles and the pdf registration form, which can be downloaded. It specifies what documentation you must provide:
  • ID Number from your NY Driver License, Permit or Non-Driver ID
  • Document Number (what is the document number?) from your NY Driver License, Permit or Non-Driver ID
  • Last 4 digits of your social security number 
Visit a DMV office, or your County Board of Elections to register in person or register by mail if you:  
  • have a licence or permit from a different state
  • recently replaced your license, permit, or ID, and have not received the new one in the mail yet
  • have a temporary (interim) license, permit, or non-driver ID
  • cannot locate your Document Number.
4. What ID do I need to vote in person or by Absentee Ballot? If you've voted in New York in person before, you don't need to provide an ID to vote as long as your signature matches previous elections. If you're a first-time voter who registered by mail, and didn't provide a copy of your ID with your registration, you may need to show ID to vote. ID can be: 1) a current and valid photo ID, or 2) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address. If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote using an affidavit  ballot. 5. I am avoiding public spaces due to COVID-19.  Do I need an excuse to vote by absentee ballot? NY voters who are reluctant to be in a public space due to Covid-19 can use an absentee ballot. One of the options for why you are requesting a  NY Absentee Ballot is:  
  • Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability (temporary illness includes being unable to appear due to risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19).
6. What are impediments to voting that I should be aware of?  
  • New York's registration deadline is fairly soon - October 9.  In contrast, twenty-one states allow voters to register all the way up through election day. 
  • NY has a short window for early, in person voting -Oct 24 - Nov 1.
  • Not being able to drop off your absentee ballot in a ballot box.
  • Needing to provide your own postage for the registration envelope and absentee ballot.
7. What if I don't have stamps for the Absentee ballot?  According to the New York Voter website, the voter must cover postage. Postage stamps can be purchased online from the United States Postal Service website, at a post office and at some grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies. Voters who can't get their hands on a stamp may not be out of luck. Unlike regular mail that will be returned to the sender if sufficient postage is not paid, USPS has a policy that it will still deliver "short-paid and unpaid absentee balloting materials" classified as official election mail, according to its website. However, don't count on this policy. Try to get your ballot submitted using a stamp or in-person. Track you ballot to ensure it was received. You can still go to the polls and vote on election day if you have any concerns about your absentee ballot being counted.  8. What should voters in the military or overseas do? Follow instructions at:  https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingMilitaryFed.html 9. Where can I get information and assistance in other languages?   See https://www.nyccfb.info/nyc-votes/registering 10. How do I know what will be on my ballot? You can see a sample ballot for your community using this link. 11. How can I check where the accessible entrances are at  polling locations?   Check the location of the accessible entrance at your polling site. In addition, your county Board of Elections will mail a special postcard to registered voters prior to the election every year.  It will include the location of accessible entrances. 12. Non-government information for NY voters: ➛ Vote 411-NY  ➛ Campus Vote Project ➛ League of Women Voters Guides 13.  Is it too late to fill out a census form? No, the census has been extended until September 30.  You can complete the census form here.   14. What if I make a mistake on my absentee ballot?  Any mark or writing outside the spaces provided for voting may void the entire ballot. You have a right to a replacement ballot. If you make a mistake or want to change your vote, call the board of elections at (insert phone number here) for instructions on how to obtain a new ballot. The number of choices is listed for each contest. Do not mark the ballot for more candidates than allowed. If you do, your vote in that contest will not count. (Source) 15.  NY State Voting Official Website and Contacts  
Formatted email by Environmental Education Fund Last updated on September 22, 2020 EnvironmentalEducationFund.org
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September 29, 2020 at 5:03 pm Lindsey Kayman
September 29, 2020 at 4:44 pm Lindsey Kayman