We want to make voting less daunting. We understand it can be complicated figuring out the district you’re in or what issues and candidates are on the ballot. This guide will help you know everything from how to register to vote (including those who have been incarcerated) to what type of accessibility services are available if you are living with a disability and how to get support to vote in your language – thus giving you a better chance of shaping your community. Vote NYC offers answers to other common election questions.
Voting deadlines in New York
Voter registration deadline: October 26, 2024
Early voting: October 26 – November 3, 2024
Election day: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Visit the New York Board of Elections (NYSBOE) for more information on applying for early and absentee voting.
NYC Votes also has reliable information on early and absentee voting.
Find your polling site
Find your polling site here. Your early voting site may differ from your election day site.
Voter registration
You can register to vote in person, online, or by mail. The New York City Board of Elections (NYCBOE) has instructions here.
Requirements to register to vote in NYC
- Citizen of the U.S., including those born in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- NYC resident for at least 30 days
- Cannot claim the right to vote anywhere outside NYC
- Cannot be in prison for a felony conviction
- Cannot be deemed mentally incompetent by a court
- Be 18 years old on or before Election Day.
- A person who is at least 16 years old and who is otherwise qualified may preregister to vote and will be automatically registered when they turn 18.
You can check your voter registration status here.
Identification requirements for registering and voting
For your voter registration application:
- Acceptable IDs on your application: driver’s license number, non-driver’s ID number or the last four digits of your social security number.
- Registered voters will not need to show an ID to vote unless they did not provide identification when they initially registered.
- First-time voters need to provide identification either with or on their voter registration application. NYCBOE says if you don’t have an ID by Election Day, you are still able to vote via affidavit ballot.
- If you don’t give the last four digits of your social security number or your driver’s license number on the registration form, you can include a copy of the following on your registration application:
- Current and valid photo ID
- Current utility bill
- Bank statement
- Paycheck or government check
- Government document that shows name and address
Voting rights for people with convictions of felonies
- If you are in jail for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial, you can vote.
- People with misdemeanors can vote even if they are serving time in jail.
- People who are incarcerated for a felony cannot vote, but you can vote if your sentence is suspended.
- If you are convicted of a felony and released from prison, you can vote but you must register to vote again.
- If you have a federal felony conviction or a conviction in another state, you can still vote in New York.
- People who are on parole or probation still have the right to vote.
More information for people with criminal history can be found here.
Understanding the ballot
Ballotpedia allows you to enter your address and see what your sample ballot will look like. It will show you ballot measures and who’s running in national, state, and local elections.
Read More: A Guide to the Six Ballot Questions New Yorkers Will Vote on in 2024
Understanding your district
There are three different types of districts in New York State: Congressional, State Senate, and State Assembly districts. This means one household is located in three different districts.
Congressional districts
Federal-level districts are used to elect the members of U.S. Congress. These are redrawn every decade based on the U.S. Census. There are 22 congressional districts in NYS. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand are currently elected, and Senator Gillibrand is running for re-election. More info on this race can be found here.
NYS Senate districts
State-level districts are used to elect members of the NYS Senate. There are 63 state senate districts. More info on these races can be found here.
NYS Assembly districts
State-level districts are used to elect members of the NYS Assembly. There are 150 assembly districts. More info on these races can be found here.
Find your districts
The easiest way to find your districts is to enter your address in Ballotpedia’s sample ballot. It will list your districts and those who are running.
Accessibility information
According to Vote 411, most polling sites are wheelchair accessible but the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York says “just getting in the door at neighborhood poll sites remains a significant barrier to voting for people with disabilities.”
Whether you or a loved one has mobility issues or speaks limited English, there is supposed to be support available. More information can be found here.
Ballot marking devices are available at polling sites. These are helpful to voters who are visually impaired, blind, or have a condition or disability that makes it hard or impossible to mark a ballot with a pen. These devices allow voters to listen to their choices through headphones, translate the ballot into additional languages, or see their ballot on a display screen.
The four ways these devices allow you to mark your ballot are rocker paddle, sip and puff device, braille keypad and touch screen.
NYCBOE has more info on these devices.
Accessible absentee ballots are also available and can be requested here.
Legally, NYC ballots and voting materials are required to be translated into Bengali, Korean, Spanish and Chinese at certain polling sites. There are also interpreters available at some sites who speak Arabic, Russian, Haitian Creole, and Yiddish. To find which sites offer translators visit here.
Those who need language assistance can also bring their own interpreter. More information can be found here.
National Elections: Who is on the ballot?
Presidential
Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris and will face off in November. Independents, including Cornel West and Jill Stein, are also running. More information can be found here.
U.S. Senate
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) will face Mike Sapraicone (R) and a few independent candidates. More info can be found here.
U.S. House
The candidates for these races depend on your district (Reminder: find your district here). Once you’ve found your district, information on your candidates can be found here.
State Elections: Who is on the ballot?
NYS Senate
The candidate for this race depends on your district. (Reminder: find your district here). Once you’ve found your district, information on your candidates can be found here.
NYS Assembly
The candidate for this race depends on your district. (Reminder: find your district here). Once you’ve found your district, information on your candidates can be found here.
Local Elections
Depending on where you live, there may also be local elections. For example, Brooklyn voters will elect someone to the New York City Civil Court Kings County 6th Municipal Court district.
You can see what local positions you can vote for by entering your address here. When prompted, request a detailed ballot, and you will be able to see which local races are in your area.
Ballot Measure: The New York Equal Protection of Law Amendment (2024)
This is a constitutional amendment.
Currently, the state constitution bans discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion.
Choosing “yes” on the amendment would add “ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability” or “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy” as protected from discrimination.
Ballotpedia has more information here.
This story originally appeared at Epicenter NYC.
