New to voting, or not sure if you’re still registered? You’re in the right place.
Here’s everything you need to get squared away before New York’s Nov. 3 general election.
Check your registration status
Before anything else, check whether you’re already registered (because you might be, even if you’ve moved or haven’t voted in a while).
New York’s voter lookup tool checks your status in about two minutes; the same tool also finds your polling place and tracks a mail ballot later this fall. You will need your county, name, date of birth, and ZIP code.
New York City residents can also check at vote.nyc or by calling 1-866-VOTE-NYC.
Who can register
To register to vote in New York, you must:
- Be a US citizen
- Be 18 by Election Day (you can pre-register at 16 or 17)
- Have lived in your county, city, or village for at least 30 days before the election
- Not be in prison for a felony conviction (learn about your voting rights after incarceration)
- Not have been found mentally incompetent by a court
- Not be claiming the right to vote somewhere else
How to register
You have three options.
- Online: The fastest route. Use the state’s online voter registration portal. You’ll need a NY.gov ID, which you can create if you don’t have one. You can use the portal to update your name, address, or party enrollment.
- By mail: Fill out the New York State Voter Registration Form, which is also available in Spanish, Chinese, and several other languages. Print it, sign it by hand (digital signatures are not accepted), and mail it to your county board of elections.
- In person: Bring the same form to your county board of elections, a state voter registration agency, or the DMV—if you already have a DMV ID, you can also do this through the DMV website.
Key deadlines
Registration closes Oct. 24, 2026. Do not wait until then, as mailed forms need time to reach your county board and get processed.
“The New York State Board of Elections encourages all eligible New Yorkers to register to vote and participate in the Nov. 3 General Election,” Kathleen R. McGrath, the board’s director of public information, told Courier New York.
If voters have questions about the election or voting process, McGrath said they should reach out to the New York State Board of Elections or their local county board of elections—“the trusted sources for this information.”
Already registered? Early voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, and Election Day is Nov. 3.
