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Elections and Voting: Register and Prepare to Vote

Are you a first time voter? Maybe you forgot the process?

These resources can help. Take a little time now to ensure you can vote in the General Election on November 8, 2016.

Registering and Voting in New York State

First thing's first: you have to register to vote. If you don't do that, you can't cast a ballot.

To register to vote in NYS you must:

  • be a U.S. Citizen
  • be 18 years old by the end of this year
  • not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction
  • not claim the right to vote elsewhere

Lots more helpful FAQs: http://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/motor-voter-faqs

Casting Your Ballot

Your polling site may be equipped with lever voting machines or scanners. Here's some information on how a few of these systems work.

If your voting site uses paper ballots and scanners, these videos will walk you through the process:

This website will be updated and changed every year, so check back each time you plan to go to the ballot box.