How to Vote in New York's 2024 Elections

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• Voter registration deadline: Saturday, Oct. 26 (applications must be received by this date)
• Absentee ballot request deadline: Saturday, Oct. 26
• Early in-person voting: Saturday, Oct. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 3
• Absentee ballot return deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 9 p.m. (postmarked or in person)

• Voter registration: Check your voter registration status online on the registration record. 

• Absentee voting: Available to those who can’t vote in person on Election Day for acceptable reasons including disability, illness or absence from the state.

• Early voting: Available to all voters who apply. Early votes can be cast by mail or in person. Contact your county board of elections for locations.

• Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. First-time voters who didn’t provide ID when registering to vote will need to bring an approved ID to the polls, such as a New York driver’s license or a utility bill.

Laws that took effect in recent years may change how you vote this year.

• New York voters can use the state’s online voter registration portal to register, update their registration status or change their party affiliation.

• Starting this year, a new law allows all registered voters to vote by mail during the state’s early voting period.

• A 2024 redistricting plan redrew the boundaries of New York’s U.S. congressional districts. You can check your district here. 

• Voters who have already received an absentee ballot can only vote in person using an affidavit ballot. Polling machines cannot be used.

• If you return an absentee ballot with a defect, such as a missing signature or date, you will receive a notification by mail and seven days to provide the correct information.

Register by mail, in person or online.

• Online: You must have a NY.gov account to register online. Using your account, go to the state’s voter registration portal to fill out the registration form. If you are a resident of New York City, state officials recommend you use the city’s voter registration portal. Or register using the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website. You must have a New York State DMV-issued driver's license, permit or ID; the last four digits of your Social Security number and your zip code must be on record with the DMV to do so.

• By mail: Download a voter registration form from the state elections website. Print, complete and mail the form to your county board of elections. You can also request that a registration form be mailed to you through the state elections website or by calling 800-367-8683.

• In person: Register at your county board of elections, the Department of Motor Vehicles or any New York state agency-based voter registration center, which includes city and state universities of New York, the Office for the Aging and the Department of Social Services.
  

New York state does not offer voter registration on Election Day.

Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Photo

You can see your voter registration status online using the registration record. 

Early mail ballots are available to any registered voter. Registered voters who can’t vote in person on Election Day because of a disability or illness or who meet other eligibility requirements may receive an absentee ballot.

To get an early mail or absentee ballot by mail, your application must be received by your local county board of elections no later than Saturday, Oct. 26. To get an early mail or absentee ballot in person, your application must be hand-delivered to your county board of elections no later than Monday, Nov. 4.

• Online: Request an early mail ballot by using the early mail application portal. Apply for an absentee ballot on the absentee ballot application portal. 

• By mail: Download an absentee ballot application or early mail ballot application from the state elections website, complete it and mail it to your county board of elections office. 

• In person: Fill out your early mail ballot application or your absentee ballot application and deliver it in person to your local county board of elections. You can also designate someone to deliver either application on your behalf and receive your ballot. 

Once you’ve filled out your ballot, fold it up, place it in the security envelope and add your signature and the date on the outside of the envelope. Next, seal the security envelope and place it in the prepaid return envelope. Lastly, seal the return envelope.

• By mail: Either type of ballot must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, Nov. 5, and received by the county board of elections no later than Tuesday, Nov. 12.

• In person: Hand-deliver your ballot to your county board of elections office or to your county’s poll site no later than Tuesday, Nov. 5, by 9 p.m. 

Track your absentee ballot through the state’s absentee ballot tracker.

Cast your ballot in person at an early voting poll site in your county between Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 3.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ to find your polling site.

Most voters do not need to bring ID to the polls. Bring an acceptable form of ID if you’re a first-time voter and didn’t provide one when you registered to vote. You can use your New York driver’s license or state-issued nondriver ID card, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government paycheck or another government document that shows your name and address.

If you cannot pick up your own absentee ballot, you can designate someone to pick it up on your behalf.

If you are permanently ill or disabled, you can register to automatically receive an absentee ballot for all subsequent elections. File an application with your county board of elections and indicate that you have a permanent illness or physical disability.

Voters with a print disability who require an accessible ballot can apply for one using the Accessible Absentee Ballot Application portal.

Voters with a disability can also vote in person using an accessible ballot marking device during early voting or on Election Day. This device allows voters to mark their ballot independently, using one of four accessible methods. Every poll site in New York City has at least one of these devices.

Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on April 29, 2024, and has been updated with new information about voting in the 2024 elections.

Julie Goldenberg is an associate editor of AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and is based in New York City.

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