Request a Ballot

Who May Apply for an Early Mail Ballot

Any registered voter may apply for an early mail ballot. Each person must apply for themselves. It is a felony to make a false statement in an application for an early mail ballot, to attempt to cast an illegal ballot, or to help anyone to cast an illegal ballot.

How to Apply for an Early Mail Ballot

You may apply for an early mail ballot in any of the following ways:

• Apply online. 

  Early mail ballot request application portal 

• If you have a print disability, which means any disability that interferes with the effective reading, writing, or use of printed material, and require a ballot with accessible features you may apply using the online Accessible Ballot Application portal. Print disabilities include blindness, low vision, dyslexia, dysgraphia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities that limit writing abilities. For more information, see the Accessible Ballot section below.
• By going in-person to your local county board of elections
• By designating another person to deliver your application in-person to your local county board of elections and receive your ballot
• You can download a PDF version of the New York State Early Mail Ballot Application Form using the links below:

Download English Form

Download Spanish Form

When is it Due?

Applications requesting to receive an early mail ballot must be received by the board of elections in your county no later than ten days before the election. For early mail ballots to be received in-person, applications must be received by your board no later than the day before the election.

When your ballot will be sent?

Your early mail ballot materials will be sent to you beginning 46 days before federal, state, county, city or town elections in which you are eligible to vote. If you applied after this date, your ballot will be sent immediately after your completed and signed application is received and processed by your local board of elections. 

How to Cast an Early Mail Ballot

1. Once your receive the ballot, mark the ballot according to your choices for each office following the instructions on the ballot.
2. Once you have completed marking your ballot fold it up and place it in the Security Envelope. (This envelope will have a place for your signature.)
3. Sign and date the outside of the Security Envelope.
4. Seal the Security Envelope.
5. All early mail ballots include a pre-paid Return Envelope. Place the Security Envelope in the Return Envelope. (This 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.
6. Seal the Return Envelope.

Early Mail Ballot Tracking

Voters can track their early mail ballot via the Board of Elections' Poll Site Search, Voter Registration, and Mail Ballot Tracker available at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

You may return the ballot in any of the following ways:

For the November General Election:

1. Put it in the mail ensuring it receives a postmark no later than November 5th. Must be received by the County Board of Elections no later than November 12th.
2. Bringing it to your County Board of Elections Office no later than November 5th by 9pm.
3. Bringing it to an early voting poll site in your county between October 26th and November 3rd.
4. Bringing it to a poll site in your county on November 5th by 9pm.

Who May Apply for an Absentee Ballot 

You may qualify to vote absentee for the following reasons:

1. Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City absent from the five boroughs, on Election Day.
2. Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability.
3. Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
4. A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital.
5. In jail or prison for any reason other than a felony conviction. This includes anyone who is awaiting grand jury action, awaiting trial, or serving a sentence for a misdemeanor.

How to Apply for An Absentee Ballot

You may apply for an absentee ballot in any of the following ways:

• Apply online.

Absentee ballot application portal

• If you have a print disability, which means any disability that interferes with the effective reading, writing, or use of printed material, and require a ballot with accessible features you may apply using the online Accessible Ballot Application portal. Print disabilities include blindness, low vision, dyslexia, dysgraphia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities that limit writing abilities. For more information, see the Accessible Ballot section below.
• By going in-person to your local county board of elections
• By designating another person to deliver your application in-person to your local county board of elections and receive your ballot
• You can download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form:

DownloAD eNGLISH FORM

Download spanish Form

If you cannot pick up your ballot, you have the right to designate someone to pick it up for you. Only that person designated on your application may pick up and deliver your ballot.

If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to receive an Absentee Ballot for each subsequent election without further application. Simply file an application with your county board of elections indicating permanent illness or physical disability.

You will then automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election until your registration is canceled.

When is your absentee ballot application due?

Applications requesting to receive an absentee ballot by mail must be received by the board of elections in your county no later than ten days before the election. For absentee ballots to be received in-person, applications must be received by your board no later than the day before the election.

When will ballots be sent?

Your absentee ballot materials will be sent to you beginning 46 days before federal, state, county, city or town elections in which you are eligible to vote. If you applied after this date, your ballot will be sent immediately after your completed and signed application is received and processed by your local board of elections.

How to Cast an Absentee Ballot

1. Once your receive the ballot, mark the ballot according to your choices for each office following the instructions on the ballot
2. Once you have completed marking your ballot fold it up and place it in the Security Envelope. (This envelope will have a place for your signature.)
3. Sign and date the outside of the Security Envelope.
4. Seal the Security Envelope.
5. All absentee ballots include a pre-paid Return Envelope. Place the Security Envelope in the Return Envelope. (This 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.
6. Seal the Return Envelope.

Absentee Ballot Tracking

Voters can track their absentee ballot via the Board of Elections' Poll Site Search, Voter Registration, and Mail Ballot Tracker available at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

You may return the ballot in any of the following ways:

For the November General Election:

1. Put it in the mail ensuring it receives a postmark no later than November 5th. Must be received by the County Board of Elections no later than November 12th.
2. Bringing it to your County Board of Elections Office no later than November 5th by 9pm.
3. Bringing it to an early voting poll site in your county between October 26th and November 3rd.
4. Bringing it to a poll site in your county on November 5th by 9pm.

When mailing your completed ballot, the USPS recommends that voters allow enough time for ballots to be returned to the Board, which is generally seven days ahead of the general election.

Voters who mail in their ballots on Election Day must be aware of the posted collection times on collection boxes and at the Postal Service’s retail facilities, and that ballots entered after the last posted collection time will not be postmarked until the following business day.

Voters with a print disability, which means any disability that interferes with the effective reading, writing, or use of printed material, and require a ballot with accessible features may apply using the online Accessible Ballot Application Portal.

Accessible Ballot Application Portal
 

Print disabilities include blindness, low vision, dyslexia, dysgraphia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities that limit writing abilities.

Voters using the accessible ballot system in need of printing services in order to print their ballot can access such services at certain public printing resources, including but not limited to, libraries, print stores, shipping stores, and office supply stores. Voters should contact their local printing resources for details on the printing services offered.

In-person voting using an accessible Ballot Marking Device (“BMD”) during early voting or on Election Day is still available to voters with a disability who do not want to vote using the accessible ballot system.

See documents below related to accessible ballots.

Electronic Accessible Ballot Delivery System Doc

Hernandez Settlement Agreement Summary

Hernandez Settlement Agreement and Order

For questions regarding accessible ballots please contact Jennifer Wilson in the Board of Elections Public Information Office at (518) 474-1953 or pio@elections.ny.gov

Ballot Cures

There are certain errors or problems that can occur when a voter completes a ballot envelope. Many of these errors or problems are curable by means of filing a cure statement with your board of elections. If your ballot envelope has a curable defect, you will receive a notice from the board of elections.  

The cure process is described here. 

Due to a recent change in 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. The affidavit ballot will be kept separate until the election is completed. Election officials will verify whether the voter’s early mail, accessible, or absentee ballot has been received. If the voter’s ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the voter’s ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be counted.

If a voter requests a second early mail, accessible, or absentee ballot, any previously issued ballot that is returned by the voter will be set aside unopened to provide the voter a chance to return the second ballot, unless the first ballot has already been opened. If both ballots are received before the return deadline, the ballot with the later postmark date is accepted and any other ballots that have been received are rejected, unless the first ballot has already been opened. If a voter submits more than one timely ballot and cast an affidavit ballot, the last received ballot, either submitted in person during the election or by mail within the absentee return deadline, will be canvassed.