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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible to vote in New York, you must be:
A U.S. citizen
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
Not claiming the right to vote elsewhere
ID Needed for Voter Registration
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.
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:
A valid photo ID
A current utility bill
A bank statement
A government check
Some other government documentation that shows your name and address
If you do not provide identification with this 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.
ID Needed for Voting
If you are a new voter who is registering 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 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.
Registration Deadline
You can register any time during the year, your form must be delivered or mailed at least 25 days before the next election for it to be effective for that election.
Verify Voter Registration
To verify your voter registration status, please use your state's voter verification tool.
Absentee Ballot Process
You are eligible for an absentee ballot if:
You are unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day
Unable to appear at the polls due to illness
disability a patient in a Veterans' Administration Hospital
Detained in jail awaiting grand jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.
Applications for absentee ballots are available from your county board of elections and the LWV, and may also be available at hospitals, nursing homes, colleges, libraries, senior citizen centers, social service agencies, state government offices and from political parties. The applications can be downloaded from the NYS Board of Elections website or the LWVNYS website. You may also request an absentee ballot by sending a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must be received by your county board no earlier than 30 days and no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information:
The address where you are registered
An address where the ballot is to be sent
The reason for the request
The signature of the voter
An application form will be mailed with your ballot. The application form must be completed and returned with your ballot. If you cannot pick up your ballot, or will not be able to receive it through the mail, you have the right to designate someone to pick it up for you. Only the person designated on your application may pick up and deliver your ballot. If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to receive an absentee ballot for each subsequent election without further application. You should file an application with your board of elections containing a statement which describes the particulars of your illness or disability. The board will review the facts stated, and if satisfied, will mark your registration record. You will then automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election until your registration is canceled.
To be counted, an absentee ballot must be postmarked by the day before Election Day and must reach the board of elections no more than seven days after the election. If the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail has passed and you cannot appear at the polls on Election Day because of an accident or sudden illness, then you may send a representative with an authorized letter to receive an absentee ballot application and absentee ballot and return both to the board of elections by 9:00 pm on Election Day at your county office. You can find your board of elections information at the Otsego County Board of Elections Office or Phone: 607-547-4247
Overseas Voting
Citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the Otsego County Board of Elections 607-547-4247
Early Voting
In person absentee voting begins as soon as the ballots are available at least 32 days before an election (January 29, 2008 for the Primary election) and ends on Election Day. In person absentee voting is conducted during the above period, at the board of elections' offices. Operating hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm except on Election Day, when they are open until 9:00 pm. You can also vote early during the weekend prior to Election Day.
Polling Place Hours
The polling place will be open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Polling Place Locator
Please contact your local elections official or call Otsego County Board of Elections Office at 607-547-4247
Provisional Voting
Provisional voting is available if the ballot was cast in the correct precinct.
Voting Machines The voting machine systems used in New York are optical scan, DRE and lever.
The voting machine systems used in New York are optical scan, DRE and lever.
Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.
Direct Recording Electronic (DRE): This is the newest kind of system in use in the U.S. All the information about who and what you are voting for is on an electronic screen like a TV or computer screen.
There are many variations of DREs because lots of companies are inventing new ones, and many cities, counties and states are trying them out. Usually, after you have signed in, the poll workers will give you a card that you slide into a device to start your voting session.
Some of these devices will show all of the candidates and ballot choices on one big screen. Often, with these big screen devices you push a button next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for (or yes or no on a ballot measure). On other DREs, the screen is set up to show "pages." On each screen or page, there will probably be one thing to vote on. For example, on one screen or page, you might vote for president. Then you might move to the next page to vote for senator. Often these small-screen devices have a "touch screen," where you touch the screen next to the name of the person you want to vote for. Other devices have a key pad. And some have a keyboard, so you can write in the name of someone you want to vote for.
You let the system know you are finished voting by pushing a button, touching the screen or entering something on a keypad.
Mechanical Lever Machine: With this type of machine, you step into a voting booth. You start the voting process by pulling on a big lever that closes the curtain on the voting booth. That also tells the machine that you are ready to vote. You will see a big printed display with the names of all the people running for office and all the ballot measures. Next to each name will be a small mechanical lever about an inch long. To vote for a person or a ballot measure, turn the lever all the way. Do that again and again until you have voted for each of the people and ballot measures you want to vote for. Next, pull the big lever that opens the curtain to the voting booth. When you pull that big lever, the machine records your vote. Then you're done.
Candidate and Ballot Measure Information
Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures is available here.
Provisions for Voters with Disabilities Most polling places are now accessible to the handicapped. 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.
Most polling places are now accessible to the handicapped. 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. For additional information, please visit your state's on-line polling place resource.
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