The most important thing you can do for your family today is register to vote.
We recommend vote.org, a non-governmental organization that helps you register to vote, check your registration, get an absentee ballot or get election reminders.
Checking your registration is important because politicians have been removing people from the voter rolls to prevent Latins, Blacks and other minorities from voting.
Registering to Vote in 2019
There are New York State and New York City elections in 2019.
To vote in the November 5, 2019 General Election, you must register by Friday, October 11, 2019.
Registering to Vote in 2018
Tuesday, September 25, 2018 is National Voter Registration Day. On this day, you can register at any New York Public Library.
Friday, October 12, 2018 is the last day to register for the November 6, 2018 General Election.
In New York City:
- You can register to vote online, by mail or in person.
- You can register to vote in English or Spanish.
- You can request an absentee ballot.
Register to vote in any state at NGO (non-governmental organization) www.vote.org
Who is Eligible to Vote?
- Voters must be U.S. citizens including those born in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- You must be at least 18 years old by election day.
- You must not be in prison or on parole for a felony. Probation is okay.
- You must not be judged mentally incompetent by a court.
- You can only vote in one place.
What if you are not Eligible to Vote
If you are not a citizen (yet), you might think that all of this doesn’t matter.
But your children, nephews and nieces are (or will be) able to vote. If we do not teach them how the U.S. system works, and the importance of voting, they may never become voters.
If you have family members in other states, talk to them about the importance of voting.
If we don’t vote, someone else will tell us how to live.
Your vote matters
Register to Vote Online
Register to Vote by Mail
Register to vote by mail by getting a New York Voter Registration Form in English or Spanish and mailing it to your Board of Elections.
To ask that a voter registration form be mailed to you, call 1-800-FOR-VOTE
Register to Vote in Person
Register to vote in person at a New York DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), NY County Board of Elections location, or other voter registration center.
These county boards manage election paperwork:
Manhattan
New York County Board of Elections
200 Varick St, 10th Floor (Hudson Square/SoHo)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 886-2100
Brooklyn
Kings County Board of Elections
345 Adams Street – 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 797-8800
The Bronx
Bronx County Board of Elections
1780 Grand Concourse, 5th Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
(718) 299-9017
Queens
Queens County Board of Elections
118-35 Queens Boulevard
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 730-6730
Staten Island
Richmond County Board of Elections
1 Edgewater Plaza, 4th Floor
Staten Island, NY 10305
(718) 876-0079
Absentee Ballot
You can vote by absentee ballot if you are out of New York City, are ill or the primary caregiver of someone who is ill or disabled, in a Veterans Administration hospital, or in jail for a non-felony offense.
Absentee ballots must be requested by mail received seven days before the election, or in person the day before the election.
For more information, visit www.elections.ny.gov
More Information
Voting rules vary by state. For information about voting in all states, visit NGO (non-governmental organization) www.vote.org