Last year, around 2.2 million voters in New York City took part in one of the most closely watched political contests in the country when they cast their votes in the mayoral race. That’s enough to cause a serious case of FOMO.
Whether you live in New York City, upstate or elsewhere in the Empire State, there are any number of reasons you may be voting for the first time in New York during the upcoming midterms—you recently turned 18, you’re a new citizen, you’re angry enough to engage, etc.
Whatever the reason may be, we’ve got some easy tips that are important to know while you plan your trip to the polls. Election Day is Nov. 3, but there are plenty of things to know and check up on before then.
Check your registration
You can’t vote if you’re not registered, so be sure to check on that. If you’ve registered in the past and remain an active voter, you should be fine. But if you’re inactive, which means you’ve missed two consecutive federal elections and have not confirmed your address during that period, you may have lost your registration status.
A voter may also lose registration status if they move outside the city or county in which they registered, are sentenced to prison after being convicted of a felony, or are deemed mentally incompetent by a court. Either way, it takes a matter of seconds to double check..
How and when to register to vote in New York
If you do need to register, it may take four to six weeks to receive your registration card once you’ve applied. It’s not that you can’t vote without a registration card, but it’s worth the peace of mind to have that confirmation.
You can also use the New York State Board of Elections’ (BOE) Online Voter Registration portal to register to vote for the first time or update your voter registration information, including changing your name, address, or party enrollment. You can also download forms in different languages at the BOE site.
Applications must be received by the board of elections no later than Oct. 24, 2026, to be eligible to vote in the general election.
Take part in early voting
Early voting allows voters to beat the lines and vote ahead of time at a polling place, much like they would on Election Day.
If you’re one of more than 11 million New Yorkers living outside of NYC, you may visit any of the assigned early voting centers in your county. New York City residents, on the other hand, are assigned one specific early voting site. Find your early voting location(s) here.
Early voting for the midterm general election will take place over nine days from Oct. 24-Nov. 1.
If you vote on Election Day, you’ll need to go to your assigned polling place. Find out where that is here.
Early mail and absentee voting in (or out of) New York
Any registered voter can apply for an early mail ballot in New York.
You can request a ballot here, or if you have print disabilities you can request an accessible ballot here. You can also request one in person at your local county board of elections or download a PDF version from the BOE site.
Officials will begin mailing early ballot materials beginning on Sept. 18. If you apply after then, your ballot will be sent immediately after your completed and signed application is received and processed by your local board of elections.
The board of elections in your county must receive your application requesting an early mail ballot no later than 10 days before the election, or Saturday, Oct. 24.
Sending your mail-in ballot
After marking your mail-in ballot, fold it up and place it in the security envelope, which will have a place for your signature. Sign and date the outside of the security envelope then seal it and place it in the pre-paid return envelope that will come with your materials.
The return envelope will have the return address of your county Board of Elections on the outside and should have a logo that reads, “Official Election Mail.” The return envelope does not require any additional postage. Seal it and place it with your outgoing mail.
Be sure to send your ballot no later than Nov. 3 (no cheating, the postmark never lies). It must be received by the county board of elections no later than Nov. 10.
Absentee voting works similarly to early mail-in ballots. You may qualify to vote absentee if you will be absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City, absent from the five boroughs on Election Day; unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability; unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled; a resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital; or incarcerated for any reason other than a felony conviction.
It’s important to note that, because of a recent change in the law, New York State voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have already been issued an early mail, accessible, or absentee ballot for that election.
Voters who have already been issued a ballot can still vote in person using an affidavit ballot, which will be kept separate until the election is completed when election officials can verify whether the voter’s early mail, accessible, or absentee ballot was received.
Important dates to know when voting in New York
Sept. 18, 2026: Mail-in and absentee ballots mailed out
Oct. 24, 2026: Deadline to register to vote
Oct. 24: 2026: Deadline to apply for absentee or early mail-in ballots
Oct. 24, 2026: First day of early voting
Nov. 1, 2026: Final day of early voting
Nov. 3, 2026: Election Day
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