NEW YORK (WETM) – New Yorkers who wish to vote in the November 2020 election have until Friday, Oct. 9 to register online to vote.

Here’s all the important information you need to register to vote, how to mail-in vote, and other important deadlines from the New York State Board of Elections website.

Register to Vote

Qualifications to Register to Vote

• Be a United States citizen;
• Be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18);
• Resident of this state and the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election;
• Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction (unless parolee pardoned or restored rights of citizenship);
• Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;
• Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

How and Where to Register to Vote (Deadlines)

• You can register in person at your county board of elections or at any New York State Agency-Based voter registration center.
• You may also submit your voter application form at the Department of Motor Vehicles, either in person or on their web site if you already have DMV-issued identification.
• You can request a New York State Voter Registration form by mail by entering your name directly into our mailing list database.
• You can call our 1-800-FOR-VOTE hotline to request a voter application.

New York State Voter Registration Form

• You may register to vote using the New York State Voter Registration Form accessible at the links below. You can complete a PDF version of the New York State Voter Registration Form on-line by clicking on the link below, typing the necessary information and selecting the appropriate boxes. Alternatively, you can print the form to complete by hand.
  • Complete English Form On-line ( 304KB)
  • Complete Spanish Form On-LIne ( 310KB)
  • Once the form is completed, you need to print the form and sign it. We cannot accept any kind of digital or Adobe-generated signature. Then, mail the form to your county board of elections.

When is the deadline to register to vote?

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020 election is Friday, Oct. 9.

Voters in New York can register online, by mail, or in-person, but all must be done by the Oct. 9 deadline.

New Yorkers can not register to vote and vote on the same day, but they can vote without a photo ID.

Can I vote by mail without an excuse?

No, you can’t vote by mail without an excuse.

Can I use COVID-19 as an excuse to request a mail-in ballot?

Yes, you can not use COVID-19 as an excuse to have a mail-in ballot in New York. Gov. Cuomo amended this in his recent election reform law.

When is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot?

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in New York depends on how you apply for one.

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot by mail is Tuesday, Oct. 27. If you would like to request a mail-in ballot in person, you can request one on Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the election.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 3 and received by Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Can I vote in person before Election Day?

Yes, both by early absentee and early in-person voting.

New York voters can vote as early as Saturday, Oct. 24 and as late as Sunday, Nov. 1.

How to Make Changes to Your Registration

Change of Name and/or Address

The voter registration form should be used as a change of address form. Notices of change of address from registered voters received at least 20 days before a special, primary or general election by a county board of elections must be processed and entered in the records in time for that election.

Change of Party Enrollment

The voter registration form should be used to change your party enrollment from one party to another or to enroll for the first time in a party. A change of enrollment received up until February 14th each year will be effective immediately. Changes received on or after February 15 until seven days after the June Primary will be set aside and opened the seventh day following the June Primary and entered in the voter’s registration record. Please see Deadlines referenced above.