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How To Vote In November 2022
All New Yorkers have three ways to vote in the November General Elections. Choose the best option to make your voice heard during the pandemic.
Learn about the candidates on your ballot by visiting voter guides published at Voting.NYC and whosontheballot.org.
Early Voting
Early voting is just like voting in-person on Election Day, just with more flexibility and shorter lines. Find your Early Voting poll site at Voting.NYC or by calling 1-866-Vote-NYC.
Voting by Mail
No. If you do not want to vote in person you can submit an application for an absentee ballot. New Yorkers can apply for absentee ballots for a number of reasons, such as if they are going to be out of their County on Election Day. Additionally, for this year’s general election New Yorkers can request an absentee ballot if they are concerned about contracting or spreading COVID-19.
You can apply for your absentee ballot right now by visiting nycabsentee.com.
When applying, you may select “temporary illness or disability” as your reason, which includes the risk of contracting the coronavirus (you need to select one of the reasons to apply for an absentee ballot).
The request form is also available as a PDF which can be printed and mailed back to the local County Board of Elections. The form, online and in paper, is available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Bengali.
The Board of Elections says it will start mailing absentee ballots in late September. Track the status of your absentee ballot.
Before sending your ballot back, you need to stop and double check that it is your name and address printed on the absentee ballot envelope (this is the smaller envelope that also has a spot for your signature). If the ballot envelope doesn’t have your name and address, don't use it. The Board of Elections will mail corrected ballot envelopes to all voters affected by this printing error. You can contact the Board of Elections by calling 866-VOTE-NYC or emailing Apply4Absentee@boe.nyc.
While this is a very unfortunate error, there is plenty of time to fix it. Remember, whether you are dropping off or mailing in your completed, signed, and sealed ballot, the deadline to do so is on or before November 8th.
This is the correct ballot for use by all absentee and military voters. Typically, there is a slash between the words “Absentee / Military” like on the primary ballots from this June. The slash was not included this time. Though confusing, these ballots are valid.
If you are visually impaired or have a disability that requires you to use an accessible version of the absentee ballot that can be read by a screen reader, you can visit nycabsentee.com. Click on the "Accessible Ballot Application" button.
To request an accessible ballot, you may also send the application form to the Board of Elections via:
You can track the status of your absentee ballot here.
The Board of Elections will mail ballots to voters who request them on a rolling basis. Track your absentee ballot.
If you would rather not put your absentee ballot in the mail, you have three options for dropping off your absentee ballot. Just look for the "Absentee Ballot" drop boxes:
Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day. We recommend mailing your completed ballot in as soon as possible to avoid any concern about your ballot not receiving a postmark and arriving too late to be counted. Absentee ballots received by the Board of Elections on the day after Election Day will be counted, even if they do not have a postmark.
Track your mailed-in absentee ballot request here. Once you have submitted your request for an absentee ballot, you can use the site to confirm whether the Board of Elections has:
Yes, unlike the June primary, you must put stamps on the return envelope that comes with your absentee ballot!
The return envelope is the larger envelope of two envelopes that will come with your absentee ballot and will have the return address of your local County Board of Elections printed on the outside. It will also have a logo that reads, "Official Election Mail".
You will receive a ballot, a smaller security envelope, and a larger return envelope.
Find your Election Day polling place. Polling places open at 6:00am and close at 9:00pm If you live in New York City and want to see your ballot ahead of time, visit findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
Yes. New York law allows a voter to vote in-person (at their assigned polling place) even if the voter requested or even mailed in an absentee ballot. This is because before any absentee ballot is counted, a bi-partisan team of Board of Elections staff, in a transparent process open to representatives of candidates, political parties, and the press, determine whether the ballot meets the requirements of NYS Election Law. One of the first things they check is whether the person already voted in person. If so, the absentee ballot is put aside and not counted.
New York does not require voters to show identification when voting, except in one circumstance. If you are voting for the first time, and you did not register to vote in-person (i.e., you registered online or via mail), you may be asked to show ID the first time you vote only. You may use the following as ID: driver's license or other government-issued identification card, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address.
Yes, you can bring someone to assist you with voting for any reason (including language access). You can also request assistance from the poll workers or you can use a Ballot Marking Device ("BMD") to help you mark your ballot at the poll site. However, anyone who assists you cannot be your employer nor your union representative.
A Ballot Marking Device, also known as a BMD, is a device that can assist you in marking your paper ballot and designed to provide privacy and accessibility to voters at their polling site.
Yes. All voters, including voters with disabilities, have the right to use a Ballot Marking Device to mark their ballot. The BMD is only used to mark the paper ballot; you need to scan the marked ballot in the counting device to cast your vote. Poll site workers can help voters use the BMDs.
Additional Resources
You want to make sure your vote is counted. If you have any questions or concerns about casting your ballot that aren't answered here, reach out to these organizations for help.
If you can, take advantage of early voting to beat the crowds. NYS has also made absentee ballots available for anyone who prefers to vote from home. Choose whichever you are most comfortable with - the important thing is that you vote!
Wear a face covering: Face coverings are required to enter all polling sites. Protect those around you and wear a face covering correctly (over your nose and mouth).
Practice physical distancing: Polling sites will be set up to enforce social distancing. Follow instructions and stay at least 6 feet away from others while at your polling site.
Practice healthy hand hygiene: Polling sites will provide hand sanitizer, and you can also bring your own. Use hand sanitizer before and after touching any shared surfaces and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after you get home. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
Stay home if you are sick: Voting is important, but it's more important that you get better before you leave your home and that you take actions to help prevent others from getting sick.
If you don't have an absentee ballot, contact your county's Board of Elections office for guidance about your voting options.