Voter Registration

Primary Election
Applications must be postmarked no later than August 19, 2011 and received by a board of elections no later than August 24, 2011 to be eligible to vote in the Primary Election.

General Election
Applications must be postmarked no later than October 14, 2011 and received by a board of elections no later than October 19, 2011 to be eligible to vote in the General Election.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements to register to vote?
A: To be eligible to vote in New York, you must be a U.S. citizen who is 18 years old by the date of the general election, a resident of your present address for at least 30 days before the election, not in jail or on parole for a felony conviction, and not claiming the right to vote elsewhere.

Q: What do I need in order to register to vote?
A: To register to vote you must have either a verifiable New York State driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not have either of these, and you are registering for the first time by mail, you may provide a copy of one of the following:

• valid photo ID
• current utility bill
• bank statement
• government check
• some other government documentation that shows your name and address

If you do not provide identification with the form, you will be asked for it the first time you vote. Forms of "current and valid photo identification" include but are not limited to:

• Passport
• Government ID card
• Military ID card
• Student ID card
• Public housing ID card
• Any ID specified by HAVA and New York State law as acceptable
• Utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck
• Government check (Social Security, tax refund, military paycheck or paycheck stub)
• Other government documents with your name and address including but not limited to: voter registration card, hunting, fishing, or trapping license or firearm permit

Q: What type of ID is necessary to vote?
A: If you are a new voter who registered by mail, you will be required to show identification when you go to vote for the first time. If you are already registered at the board of elections or a state agency, you should not have to show identification at the polls. It is advisable for all new voters to bring identification when voting for the first time. Acceptable IDs to to vote are:

• Passport
• Government ID card
• Military ID card
• Student ID card
• Public housing ID card
• Any ID specified by HAVA and New York State law as acceptable
• Utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck
• Government check (Social Security, tax refund, military paycheck or paycheck stub)
• Other government documents with your name and address including but not limited to: voter registration card, hunting, fishing, or trapping license or firearm permit

Q: Are there provisions for voters with disabilities?
A: Most polling places are now accessible to the disabled. If yours is not, you may ask to have your records transferred to a nearby accessible polling place where the ballot will be the same as in your election district. You may also vote by absentee ballot. If you have a long-term or permanent illness or disability, you can apply for a permanent absentee ballot and you will automatically receive one before each primary and general election.

Q: I'm registered at home but want to vote while attending Binghamton University. What do I do?
A: You have two options - vote using an absentee ballot, or re-register at BU by filling out a new registration form.

Additional Resources

Rock the Vote - Rock the Vote’s mission is to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country.

Project Vote Smart - A non-partisan organization with information on how to register to vote in each state, addresses of county and city elections offices and more.

New Voters Project - a nonpartisan organization since 2003 to register young people and get them to the polls on Election Day.

Voter Information Center - Run by the US Election Assistance Commission, get information on how to register, finding your congressional district, state polling hours, Voter's Guide to Election Day & more.

Absentee Voting - You don't need to be around on election day to have your vote count.  This site contains forms, instructions and deadlines for every state.

NYS Board of Elections

Vote411.org - Information you need, sponsored by the League of Women Voters