ABOUT Voting By Mail in NY
- REQUESTING a Ballot
- To Vote by Mail in the 2022 General Election: By October 24th, 2022 you must request a ballot online, or request one by mail or fax.
- DEADLINE ALERT: Your Local Board of Elections must RECEIVE your ballot request by this date.
- After this deadline voters may request a ballot in-person at their Local Board of Elections (or give a person they trust written permission to do so on their behalf in Section 6 of this printable ballot request form (eng, esp), through close of business on the day prior to Election Day, Monday, November 7th, 2022.
- When applying due to COVID or any illness, select "Temporary illness or physical disability" as the reason. This includes the potential for spreading or contracting any illness.
- On the go? Traveling? When requesting a ballot, voters can have it mailed to an alternative (mailing) address.
- Voters with disabilities may apply for an accessible electronic ballot Click Here (can be used with a screen reader). Learn more Click Here.
- ALERT! New Absentee Ballot Law Restricts Your Rights: New York voters who have been mailed or issued an absentee ballot and then turn out to vote in person (early or on Election Day) may ONLY cast an affidavit (provisional) ballot, or vote absentee. Regardless, only one ballot per voter will be counted.
- COMPLETING a Ballot
- After requesting a ballot, a voter will receive:
- Absentee/Military Ballot: follow the instructions and mark your votes for each contest with a blue or black pen. Fill in the oval completely. Avoid making stray marks on the ballot.
- Inner Ballot (oath) Envelope: Must be sealed (do not use tape or glue), signed, and dated accurately.
- Outer Return Envelope: Beginning in August 2022, postage IS prepaid (no stamp required). See below for “drop off” alternatives to mailing.
- Voters with disabilities may:
- Sign the Ballot (oath) Envelope themselves, or may make a mark and have that mark witnessed in the space provided on the oath Envelope for name and address of a witness.
- A power of attorney or name stamp is not allowed.
- Sign the Ballot (oath) Envelope themselves, or may make a mark and have that mark witnessed in the space provided on the oath Envelope for name and address of a witness.
- RETURNING a Ballot
Voters must return ballots prior to 9 PM on Election Day using ANY of these methods:
- By Mail: Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day. No postage stamp required.
- Return postage is FREE! (prepaid beginning in 2022, NYS Election Law § 8-406(2))
- The USPS is required by law to properly deliver election mail, regardless of postage. If a mailed ballot is returned undelivered, please file a report with the NYS Attorney General’s Office and drop off your ballot using the options below if there is still time.
- By drop off at your Local Board of Elections Office during operating hours. Locate your Local Board of Elections. NYC voters may return ballots to any NYC Board of Elections office.
- By drop off at ANY Early Voting Site in your county during Early Voting operating hours (Find Local Early Voting Locations and Hours). NYC voters may drop it off at ANY Early Voting site in the Five Boroughs.
- By Drop off at ANY Election Day Poll Site in your county during Election Day operating hours (6 AM - 9 PM). NYC voters may drop off ballots at ANY Election Day poll site in the Five Boroughs.
- Know your Absentee Voting RIGHTS!
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- If you have requested but not received an absentee ballot (or if it is damaged / lost / destroyed), you can still vote in person during Early Voting or on Election Day. However, these voters may only cast an Affidavit Ballot and should carefully read and sign the affidavit.
- Due to a recent change in law, New York voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they appear in-person to vote and have already been mailed or issued an absentee ballot. Election officials will verify whether the voter’s absentee ballot has been received. If the absentee ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be counted.
- To see all voting options for your county or borough Click Here.
- Opportunity to Cure Technical Errors. The law requires election officials to notify and allow voters to correct ("cure") several technical defects on their absentee ballot envelopes that otherwise disqualify the ballot. Impacted voters must be notified promptly of the defect and may file a cure affirmation with their election board within 7 days of the Board's mailing the notification.
- A curable defect includes when the ballot envelope: (i) is unsigned; (ii) has a non-matching signature; (iii) has no required witness to a mark; (iv) is returned without the (inner) affirmation envelope; (v) has an inner affirmation envelope signed by the person that provided assistance to the voter but is not signed or marked by the voter; or (vi) contains the signature of someone other than the voter (eg. spouses who inadvertently mismatch envelopes).
- Impacted voters will receive a notice by snail mail (and by email or phone if possible) from their local board. The "Cure Process" is Described Here.
- No Need to Cure Some Defects. Ballot envelopes are valid (do not require a cure) if: (i) a ballot envelope is undated or has the wrong date, provided it is postmarked by Election Day or is otherwise timely received; (ii) the voter signed or marked the inner affirmation envelope some place other than the signature line; (iii) a voter used a combination of any color ink or pencil to complete the envelope; (iv) papers found in the ballot envelope are board of elections materials; (v) an extrinsic mark or tear on the envelope appears to be the result of ordinary wear and tear from mailing; or (vi) the envelope is partially unsealed but there is no ability to access the ballot.
- If you have requested but not received an absentee ballot (or if it is damaged / lost / destroyed), you can still vote in person during Early Voting or on Election Day. However, these voters may only cast an Affidavit Ballot and should carefully read and sign the affidavit.