Your guide to voting in New York City this fall

Beginning Saturday, New Yorkers will head to the polls to choose leaders from state and federal levels, from the governor to members of Congress. These are the elected officials who make decisions on public transit, education access, taxes and more.

On the ballot this year are races for governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, state comptroller, all seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, every seat in the state Senate and Assembly, and in some districts, state Supreme Court justices and Civil Court judges. City voters will also decide on five ballot proposals that would amend the City Charter, or the city’s governing document.

Early voting runs from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 3, and polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know about registering, voting early or by mail, your rights at the polls and the five ballot proposals.

Jump ahead:

• Important voting deadlines
• Where is my polling site?
• How do I register to vote? Or how do I check if I am registered to vote?
• When does early voting start?
• What’s on my ballot?
• What are the five ballot proposals in NYC?
• What are my voting rights?
• Can I still vote by mail in New York?
• Will ICE be at the polls in New York?
• What are the identification requirements for registering and voting?
• What are voting rights for people with convictions for felonies?
• How can I find out if my polling site is accessible? What about language access?

Important voting deadlines

New voter registration deadline: Oct. 24

Last day to request a mail ballot online or by mail: Oct. 24

Last day to apply in person at your borough Board of Elections for a mail ballot: Nov. 2

Mail ballot postmark deadline: Nov. 3 (must be received by Nov. 10)

Early voting period: Oct. 24 to Nov. 1

Election Day: Nov. 3

Where is my polling site?

Find your polling site and view your ballot at https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/ 

Note: Your early voting site may differ from your election day site. 

How do I register to vote? Or how do I check if I am registered to vote?

You can register to vote in person, online or by mail. The New York City Board of Elections (NYCBOE) has instructions here. You can check your registration status here.

Requirements to register to vote in NYC:

• Citizen of the U.S., including those born in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands
• NYC resident for at least 30 days
• Cannot claim the right to vote anywhere outside NYC
• Cannot be in prison for a felony conviction
• Cannot be deemed mentally incompetent by a court
• At least 18 years old on or before Election Day.
  • A person who is at least 16 years old and who is otherwise qualified may preregister to vote and will be automatically registered when they turn 18. 

When does early voting start?

Early voting begins in New York on Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 1. Your early voting site might be different from your Election Day polling place, and hours vary each day.

Find your polling site here. Polls will be open during the early voting period as follows:

• Saturday, Oct. 24: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What’s on my ballot?

Head over to findmypollsite.vote.nyc. There, you can enter your address and see which offices are up for election, as well as view a sample ballot. 

Voters will choose New York’s governor and lieutenant governor, state comptroller and attorney general, as well as their state senator, state assembly member and U.S. congressional representative. 

New York City residents will also vote on five ballot proposals, which will be on the back of voters’ ballots.

What are the five ballot proposals in NYC?

Five ballot measures on this year’s ballot come from the New York City Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), whose 10 public hearings this summer drew more than 1,200 attendees. Full breakdown here. Abbreviated explanation below.

Proposal 1: Speed Up Process for Granting a Revocable Consent to Use Public Spaces

• What it does: It changes how businesses and property owners get city permission to use sidewalks and streets: merging the two outdoor dining applications into one, making public hearings optional, replacing newspaper ads with online comments, and ending the City Council’s power to block sidewalk cafes.
• How it works and what it would change: To put things like outdoor dining, ramps or benches on a sidewalk or street, businesses and property owners need permission from the Department of Transportation. That permission is called a “revocable consent” because the city can take it back at any time. 

Proposal 2: Reduce City Contractor Paperwork: Require Regular Meetings of Procurement Policy Board

• What it does: Changes how the city hires outside businesses and nonprofits, which it pays to do much of its work, from running homeless shelters and afterschool programs to building infrastructure and supplying everything from pencils to fire hoses.
  
• How it works and what it would change: The city spends billions of dollars a year in outside contracts – for example, these contracts totaled $42.3 billion, or nearly 40% of the city’s budget, in fiscal year 2025. 

Proposal 3: Speed Up Street Safety Projects, Disposition of Unused City Property, Office Leasing

• What it does: Puts three different changes into one vote: fewer approval steps for street safety projects like bike lanes, a shorter review for selling small city-owned lots and the unused building space above city-owned landmarks and fewer approvals when the city rents office space for its workers.
  
• How it works and what it would change: This proposal touches on three potential changes: For bike lanes and larger road redesigns, the Department of Transportation would still consult the community and other agencies, but a missed step couldn’t stop a project in court, and urgent safety projects could start sooner. Small unused city lots, and the air rights above city-owned landmarks, would go through a 90-day review instead of seven months. And when the city leases office space for its workers, it would no longer need approval from the City Planning Commission or the City Council.

Proposal 4: Simplify Building Permitting and Move Waterfront Permitting to Department of Buildings  

• What it does: Changes how people get construction permits. It would require the city to build one website for submitting permit applications to different city agencies, put the Department of Buildings (DOB) in charge of permits for building on the waterfront, and let more offices within DOB approve that a building is safe and legal to move into.
  
• How it works and what it would change: Any construction project in New York City, from a homeowner’s renovation to a large development, can require approvals from multiple city agencies through separate systems. The proposal would bring together 40 permits and approvals from 18 offices and agencies into one online hub. Commissioners said applicants would only have to enter their information once.

Proposal 5: Set Contribution Targets for Rainy Day Fund to Promote Sufficient Budgetary Reserves  

• What it does: Sets a savings goal for the money the city puts aside for emergencies and hard times, including its rainy day fund. The goal would be 12% of what the city collected in taxes the year before. The city would also have to make a plan for how much to save each year when it’s below that goal.
  
• How it works and what it would change: The city’s rainy day fund exists in cases of emergency or unexpected economic downturns – like a pandemic that requires emergency supplies, or a drop in tax revenues – so agencies can keep providing  services to the public. Voters approved creating the fund in 2019, and a state law cleared the way in 2020. However, there is no target or rule for deposits. The fund now holds about $2 billion, or 2% of tax revenues. The proposal would set a savings target of 12% and require the city to make a plan for deposits. It would also make a state requirement permanent in city law, limiting withdrawals of the fund to 50% unless the mayor certifies there’s an urgent financial need.

To read more information about the proposals, check out our guide here.

What are my voting rights?

To cast your ballot, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and registered to vote. If you’re in line when your poll site is closing, stay in line. You still have the right to vote.

When you vote, you can:

• Get help from a poll worker
• Use an interpreter if you need language help.
• Bring notes, a sample ballot or other materials to help you vote
• Still cast a ballot if the voting machine isn’t working
• Vote by affidavit ballot if your name isn’t on the list at your poll site
• Vote without showing ID, unless you’re a first-time voter who didn’t provide ID when you registered. Even then, you can still vote by affidavit ballot.
• Have access to an accessible polling site and get help casting your ballot if you have a disability.

Questions or complaints about voting can be submitted to the New York Attorney General’s Election Hotline via an online portal or by phone at 1-866-390-2992. Hotline staff will be working:

• Every day during early voting: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Day before Election Day: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Election Day: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Day after Election Day: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Can I still vote by mail in New York?

Yes, any registered New Yorker can still request a mail-in ballot, and absentee ballots are still available. 

The background: In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that directed the U.S. Postal Service to set new rules for mailed ballots, including requiring tracking barcodes and allowing the agency to refuse ballots from voters not on state-submitted lists. In August, the Supreme Court sided with the administration in one legal challenge, ruling that the states had sued too early. But on Sept. 14, the court did not allow the U.S. Postal Service’s mail ballot restrictions take effect, leaving a lower court’s block in place. As a result, mail voting this year will largely work the same way as it has in past elections.

To vote by mail in New York, voters must request a ballot online or by mail by Oct. 24. They can also go in person to their borough Board of Elections office by Nov. 2. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 10. 

The state Attorney General’s office warns that ballots dropped off in mailboxes might not be postmarked for a day or more, and encourages voters to mail them early or drop them off in person. Ballots can be returned at your borough Board of Elections office, early voting sites from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, and any open poll sites by 9 p.m. on Election Day.

Will ICE be at the polls in New York?

Trump administration officials have said they have no plans to send immigration enforcement agents to polling sites at a large scale. However, they have not ruled out stationing agents in specific situations, according to PolitiFact. 

An AI-generated social media video is fueling this concern among immigrant voters. In the fake video, ICE officers can be seen patrolling polling booths, taking a woman’s ballot and pushing it onto her, and telling someone to keep their head down.

Federal law prohibits “any troops or armed men” where elections are held, “unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” Election law experts told PolitiFact that the ban covers federal civilian law enforcement, including ICE. In her Oct. 6 voter guidance, state Attorney General Letitia James called it a federal crime to station armed federal officers, including ICE agents, at polling places.

Under New York state law, local government officials or employees cannot grant ICE agents access to a polling site unless the officers present have a valid judicial warrant or court order, James said.

“Every New Yorker has the right to vote freely and safely, without fear of being threatened or harassed in the voting booth,” she said.

Voting rights groups and unions have filed lawsuits asking courts to bar federal agents from polling places. Some election officials and advocates are training for the possibility, according to PolitiFact.

Questions or complaints about voting can be submitted to the New York Attorney General’s Election Hotline via an online portal or by phone at 1-866-390-2992. Hotline staff will be working:

• Every day during early voting: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Day before Election Day: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Election Day: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Day after Election Day: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

What are the identification requirements for registering and voting?

For voter registration application:

• Acceptable IDs on your application: driver’s license number, non-driver’s ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

• Registered voters will not need to show an ID to vote unless they did not provide identification when they initially registered.
• First-time voters need to provide identification either with or on their voter registration application. NYCBOE says that if you don’t have an ID by Election Day, you are still able to vote via affidavit ballot. 
• If you don’t give the last four digits of your Social Security number or your driver’s license number on the registration form, you can include a copy of the following on your registration application:
  • Current and valid photo ID
  • Current utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Paycheck or government check
  • Government document that shows name and address

What are voting rights for people with convictions for felonies?

People convicted of misdemeanors can vote even if they are serving time in jail. If you are in jail for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial, you can vote. People who are incarcerated for a felony cannot vote, but can vote if their sentence is suspended.

• If you were convicted of a felony and have been released from prison, you can vote, but you may need to re-register. 
• The same rules apply if you have a federal felony conviction or a conviction in another state: you can vote in New York unless you’re currently incarcerated for it. 
• People who are on parole or probation still have the right to vote. 
• More information for people with a criminal history can be found here.

How can I find out if my polling site is accessible? What about language access?

According to Vote NYC, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Unit ensures poll sites throughout the five boroughs are accessible to all voters, but the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York says “just getting in the door at neighborhood poll sites remains a significant barrier to voting for people with disabilities.”

Whether you or a loved one has mobility issues or speaks limited English, there is supposed to be support available. More information can be found here.

• Ballot-marking devices are available at polling sites. These are helpful to voters who are visually impaired, blind or have a condition or disability that makes it hard or impossible to mark a ballot with a pen. These devices allow voters to listen to their choices through headphones, translate the ballot into additional languages or see their ballot on a display screen.
  • The four ways these devices allow you to mark your ballot are:
    • Rocker paddle
    • Sip and puff device
    • Keypad (Braille)
    • Touch screen
• The NYC Board of Elections has more info on these devices.
• Accessible absentee ballots are also available and can be requested here.
• Legally, NYC ballots and voting materials are required to be translated into Bengali, Korean, Spanish and Chinese at certain polling sites. There are also interpreters available at some sites who speak Arabic, Russian, Haitian Creole and Yiddish. To find which sites offer translators visit here.
• Those who need language assistance can also bring their own interpreter. More information can be found here.