What you need to know about Voting!

Voting is less than two weeks away for the midterm elections. No matter where you live, or want to live, it would be wise to know what you need to do to vote and find your voting place. Please note that your early voting site may be different from your Election Day poll site. Before you head to cast your ballot, make sure you are going to the right polling location!

How to vote

The first question you need to ask yourself is “Can you vote?” Those who are eligible to vote in New York City  meet the following criteria: U.S. citizen, New York City resident for at least 30 days, and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day (you can pre-register to vote at 16 or 17, but must be 18 to vote), Not be in prison for a felony conviction, not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court, and not claim the right to vote elsewhere. If you are currently experiencing homelessness you can still register and vote in New York City. You must include a mailing address where the BOE can send you notices on your registration form.

Once you confirm that you can vote, make sure you are registered. While registering by mail needs to be done 10 days before Election Day, you can register in minutes online following the instructions here or in person at your local Board of Elections office. Make sure to double and triple-check the deadline and get yourself registered to vote. You can check your voter registration status, which political party you are enrolled in, and your political district information by using the NYS Voter Lookup tool.

You can cast your vote in the following ways:

Early Voting

Make sure you confirm where your Early Voting location is because it may be different from your Election Day poll site. You can find your polling site here. The schedule for Early Voting is the following: 

Early Voting Schedule

Vote by Mail

In the past, voters needed to provide a reason for voting by mail. That is no longer the case, and all are welcome to vote by mail thanks to the New York Early Mail Voter Act. Here’s what is important when voting by mail:

• If you are a registered voter, you are able to vote by mail. 
• Once you have an early mail or absentee ballot, you cannot vote in person at your polling site.
• If you do not use your absentee or early mail ballot, you can only vote in person with an affidavit ballot at your poll site, and not with a voting machine.

If you are interested in voting by mail, here’s how you can start the process for future election cycles.

• You can request your mail ballot online at https://requestballot.vote.nyc
• For voters with disabilities who need assistance with their ballot, you can request an accessible ballot here: https://requestballot.vote.nyc/accessibility
• And as always, you can go in person at your local Board of Elections office and get yourself ready for a mail ballot.

In the world of digital immediacy, voting by mail harks back to a time when patience was required. 

Make sure to request an early mail ballot or absentee ballot, by mail or online, by the deadline, which is ten days before the election. You can apply in person up to the day before an election.

Deadlines to request mail ballots for 2026

November 3 General Election:

• Last day to apply online or by mail is October 24, 2026.
• Last day to apply in person at your local Board of Elections office is November 2, 2026.
• After you receive your ballot

After you get your mail in ballot:

• Make your choices for each office and circle them on the ballot.
• Place the ballot in the provided security envelope.
• Sign and date the outside of the security envelope.
• Seal the security envelope.
• Place the security envelope in the larger return envelope, which has the return address of your Board of Elections along with a logo on its front that reads “Official Election Mail.”
• Seal the return envelope.
• Find a mailbox and drop it in there. No postage needed!

Day of Election

You should get a notice from the Board of Elections in the City of New York, telling you where to vote. It will provide you with vital information about your Election District / Assembly District number which you need to know on Election Day. You might also get a card that you can scan and add your voting information into your Digital Wallet (Apple Wallet or Google Wallet). Even though you didn’t request a mail in ballot, make sure to check your mail because you will receive important information about the voting process!

What are my voting rights

It is your right to follow the following guidelines to preserve your voting rights:

• Ask a poll worker for help
• Use an interpreter if you need language assistance
• Bring any voting materials with you 
• Vote even if the voting machine is broken
• Vote by affidavit ballot if your name is missing from the list of voters at your polling site
• Not show an ID if you are not a first time voter

If you feel that your voting rights are being violated, you can contact the Election Protection hotline to speak with a trained Election Protection volunteer and get free legal support. Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

The most important thing to remember about Election Day is that it might be crowded. People want their voices to be heard. If you get to the line before the cutoff time, which for most polls is 9pm, you are legally allowed to stay in line until you cast your vote. 

Go out this election season and vote on that first Tuesday of November! Your voice matters, and we hope that this article has been informative.