Voter Frequently Asked Questions

You can check via the NY State Board of Elections, here:
https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/
You can also call 1-866-868-3692 to check their status.

The New York City Board of Elections has a poll site locator website, available here:
https://nyc.pollsitelocator.com/search

People CAN register to vote online if they have a valid Department of Motor Vehicles NY State ID at this website: https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application
This same form can be used to change party affiliation. To do, so they just need to be able to have their basic info (address, DOB, last 4 of social) and the ID number and Document number from their NY state DMV issued ID.See the explanation to the right, because finding the “document” number is very confusing.

All registrations must be in 21 days before the election. For the November 8th presidential elections, that means the deadline is Friday, Oct 14th. This means that they have to BE AT the Board of Elections office (one in each county) on the 14th or be postmarked on Oct 14th and arrive at the Board of Elections no later than Oct 18th.

Yes they absolutely can vote. There is a detailed one pager from the league of women voters available at http://www.lwvny.org/advocacy/vote/RTVHomelessIndividuals.pdf. For their address, homeless individuals should enter the location of where they stay at night, which can be a street corner, a park, a shelter, a bus station, or any other location. This address will be used by the board of elections to assign you to the appropriate polling location.

In addition, you must provide a mailing address so that voter notification cards and other election materials may be sent to you. Having your mailing address also helps the boards of elections maintain current and accurate voter registration lists.

The address you give as your mailing address may be that of a local advocacy organization, shelter, outreach center, or anywhere else willing to accept mail on your behalf. Your mailing address does not have to be your residential address.

You may not register or vote, if you have been convicted of a felony and for that felony:

• You are currently incarcerated; or
• You are under parole supervision.

You may register and vote if you were convicted of a felony and for that felony:

• You were sentenced to probation;
• You were not sentenced to incarceration or your prison sentence was suspended;
• You have served your maximum prison sentence; in which case you are able to re-register to vote
• You were on parole and then discharged, in which case you are able to re-register to vote
• You have received a pardon

If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor, you are eligible to vote even while incarcerated. It does not impact your ability to vote in any way.

It can be done online at http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingAbsentee.html or you can download the form, print it, and mail it at the following website: http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/Absentee06152010.pdf
If the voter does not have Internet or printing access, you can also call 1-866-VOTE-NYC (868-3692) to request that the form be mailed.
New York does not allow for traditional “vote by mail”, it only allows for Absentee voting in the following specific circumstances:

1. You will be out of the city or county where you live on Election Day
2. You are unable to go to the polls because you are ill, physically disabled or in the hospital;
3. You are an inmate or patient in a Veterans’ Administration hospital
4. You are detained in jail awaiting grand jury action or trial
5. You are incarcerated after a conviction for a non-felony offense. N.Y. Elec. Law § 8-400

New Yorkers are eligible to take up to two hours of paid time off in order to vote if their work schedule otherwise prevents them from voting in person while the polls are open. Voters must tell their employers that they need time off to vote at least two but no more than ten days before the election. N.Y. Elec. Law § 3-110.

Yes, the New York CITY Board of Elections website has information and forms available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Bengali & Russian at the following link:
http://vote.nyc.ny.us/html/voters/voters.shtml

You can call the ACLU National Voter Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

First, ask a poll worker to check the list again and to confirm that you’re at the right polling place for your address. If you’re at the right polling place but your name isn’t on the voter list, ask for a provisional ballot. You have the right to cast a provisional ballot, even if your name isn’t on the voter list, as long as you’re willing to swear or affirm that you believe you registered to vote. For other help, you can look here: http://www.nyclu.org/content/register-vote#vote

Students can register to vote either at school or home, whatever address they consider their primary legal residence.

Help them fill out the form with blue or black ink. If they want you to fill it out, you can, but THEY MUST SIGN. Keep the form – you will turn it in for them. Return form to your team lead to be scanned.