New Yorkers who want a ballot mailed to them for the Nov. 3 general election must make sure their applications reach their county board of elections by Saturday, Oct. 24, whether they apply online, by mail, email or fax. The same day is the deadline to register to vote.
Attorney General Letitia James urged voters to request and return ballots early, pointing to mail-voting deadlines and safeguards outlined by her office. Early voting also begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 1.
Any registered New York voter can request an early mail ballot online without giving a reason. Absentee ballots are a separate option for voters who cannot vote in person for a stated reason. The last day to apply for a mail ballot in person at a county board of elections is Monday, Nov. 2.
“No matter how they vote, New Yorkers should feel confident their ballots will be counted,” James said. She urged voters not to let concerns about the election system deter them from requesting and returning a ballot.
How to return and track a ballot
Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, and arrive at the county board of elections by Tuesday, Nov. 10. James warned that a ballot placed in a mailbox may not receive a postmark until the following day or later under U.S. Postal Service practices. Voters mailing close to the deadline can ask for a free hand-stamped postmark at a post office counter.
Voters can instead return a completed mail ballot to any early voting site in their county, their county board of elections office, or an open Election Day polling site in their county. Election Day drop-offs must be made by 9 p.m. The attorney general's office said voters can also request, complete and submit an early mail ballot during one visit to their county elections office.
Voters should follow the ballot instructions and sign and date the envelope where indicated. They can check a ballot's progress through the State Board of Elections' online tracker at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. A voter who requested but has not submitted a mail ballot may still vote in person with an affidavit ballot; election officials will count it after verifying that the voter did not also submit the mail ballot.
Safeguards and voting assistance
The attorney general's office said bipartisan election-worker teams examine mail-ballot envelopes and compare signatures with voter registration records. Processing a ballot updates the voter's record to prevent a second vote. When an envelope has a correctable problem, such as a missing signature, election officials must notify the voter and provide a chance to fix it.
James said mail voting will proceed under New York law after court rulings this year blocked a federal Postal Service rule concerning ballot delivery and rejected an effort to require mail ballots to arrive by Election Day. Under state law, ballots postmarked by Election Day may count if received within the following seven days.
The Office of the Attorney General's Election Protection Hotline will be open from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4. Voters who encounter problems with mail ballots, early voting or Election Day voting can call 866-390-2992 or submit a complaint online.
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