Make a Voting Plan

Once you are registered to vote, how do you want to cast your ballot? This year, New York voters can choose between these three options:

1. Voting in person during the early voting period:

• You can avoid longer lines and skip the post office by casting your ballot during New York's early voting period. Look up your early voting poll site here.
• Every county must have at least one early voting poll site.

2. Voting in person on Election Day:

• You can go to the polls on Election Day and cast your ballot.

*Your assigned early voting poll site may not be the same location as your Election Day poll site. Look up your poll sites for early voting and for Election Day.

3A. Voting by mail using an early mail-in ballot (that does not require an excuse – new as of 2024):

• Request an early mail-in ballot online or visit your county Board of Elections office. Your ballot will be sent to you immediately after your application is received and processed.
• When you have received your ballot, vote for the candidates of your choice on the front, and flip your ballot over to vote on any question(s) on the back (such as statewide or local ballot proposals).
• When finished voting, fold the ballot and put it in the security envelope.
• Sign, date, and seal the security envelope.
• Put it in the return envelope and mail it, postmarked no later than Election Day. Return envelopes already include postage and the return address of your Board of Elections.
• If you do not want to mail your ballot, you can hand deliver it to your local county Board of Elections office by Election Day before 9 PM, bring it to an early voting site in your county during the early voting period (hours and locations vary by county), or bring it to a poll site in your county on Election Day before 9 PM.
• Voters can track their early mail-in ballot online.

3B. Voting by mail using an absentee ballot:

• You can get information about applying for an absentee ballot by visiting this New York State Board of Elections absentee voting webpage.
• Or you can apply for an absentee ballot by visiting or contacting your county Board of Elections.
• Once your application is accepted, you will receive a hard-copy ballot through the mail.
• You can then complete your ballot and drop it off or mail it in.
• If mailed in, your ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day. All absentee ballot return envelopes should have postage paid already. You should not need to add stamps. Contact your local Board of Elections if your absentee ballot return envelope is missing the postage paid mark.
• Your ballot can also be dropped off at an early voting poll site during the early voting period, or at an Election Day poll site on Election Day. Look up poll sites for early voting and for Election Day.
• If you are a New York City voter, you can track your absentee ballot application.

USPS recommends that voters mail their absentee ballot about seven days ahead of the election. All absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day.

You can still vote in person if you requested an absentee ballot, but you must use an affidavit ballot at your poll site. If you requested an absentee ballot, you should plan to vote with it by mailing it in or dropping it off in person (details above). However, if you requested an absentee ballot but would like to vote in person instead, you will have to vote with an affidavit ballot at your poll site (a paper ballot that is not scanned in a machine and is canvassed afterwards).

NYPIRG supports voter reforms, including:

• Elimination of the patronage-controlled Boards of Elections, starting with the merit selection of permanent Board employees across the state.
• Improved college poll site access: Currently, too many colleges with a significant student population lack a poll site on or next to campus, despite a 2022 law meant to improve access. We support reforms to increase campus poll sites and to make it easier for students to register to vote using their on campus address.
• Improved absentee voting: We support no-excuse absentee ballot access. Additionally, as New York City has recently done, all local New York Boards of Election should allow voters to track their ballots – in the same way as mail delivery purchases are tracked now. This provides confidence in the system and allows for additional time to make alternative plans if needed.
• Enhanced early voting participation. Since voting is a habit that must be ingrained and supported in the early years of eligibility – which coincide with typical college years – New York should cultivate this habit by supporting voting by students on campus.
• Allowing voters to register and vote on Election Day.
• Codifying case law with respect to students voting from a campus-area address.
• Guidelines for better ballots. Poor ballot design can affect every voter at a poll site. Miniscule fonts, unnecessary graphics and unreadable directions result in spoiled ballots and longer wait times for all.
• Improved poll worker performance. Voters should come first on Election Day. Unfortunately, for too many, the patronage structure of the Boards puts party loyalty first and public service second. New York can improve poll site conditions immediately by offering time off for state and city employees working the polls, and professionalizing poll worker training so that only qualified and trained staff work the polls.