Constitution and Citizenship Day: Voter Registration Drive

The History & Political Science Department  encourages all students, faculty, and staff to exercise their political and civil rights by registering to vote and participating in the electoral process.

Watch for our nonpartisan, voter registration table which we will host as part of National Constitution and Citizenship Day, on Monday, September 17, 2018, at the Wick Center Lobby from 11:30-1:00. 

In the meantime, here is some information to help you vote in New York State:

Registering to Vote: 

How do I check if I'm already registered to vote or not? You can look up your voter registration information with the New York Board of Elections here.

How to I register to Vote? 
New York Voter Registration forms are always available through the New York State Board of Elections online here (English version) and here (Spanish version).

You can also pick up a voter registration form in the History & Political Science Department. Just stop by DS 139 and ask for a blank voter registration form: we are always happy to help you with any questions you might have about the voting registration process.

Am I Eligible to Vote? 

In order to vote you must: 

·                     be a United States citizen;

·                     be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you file this form (note: you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote);

·                     live at your present address at least 30 days before an election;

·                     not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction; 

·                     not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court; 

·                     not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

At what address should I register? 

If you are a college student, you may register at either your local college address (provided you will have lived there for at least 30 days before the election) or at your home-town address. The address at which you are registered to vote will determine your polling place on election day.  So, if you want to vote at a polling place near Daemen you should register using your local (Erie County) address, or fill out a change of registration card by the registration deadline.  

What if I am not registered to vote at my local (Erie County) address? 

If you are registered to vote at your non-college address (for example, if you are registered to vote in NYC) and are not able to travel back to cast your ballot then you will need to apply for an absentee ballot.

How do I apply for an Absentee ballot? 
If you are filling out a new voter registration form you can simply check the box on Item 15 in order to have an absentee ballot application sent to your local address.

If you are already registered to vote, you can request an absentee ballot from your county board of election. Absentee ballot requests forms can be found here (English) and here (Spanish).  The application request must be received by the county board of elections by mail no later than 7 days before the election (or the day before if submitted in person). 

Students who are registered to vote at their non-college address should check "absent from county" when filling out your absentee ballot form (i.e., you are unable to vote in person in the county where you are registered because you are away at college).

See here  for complete information on absentee voting.

If you do not want to worry about voting absentee, remember that you may also choose to fill out a new voter registration form to update/change your registration to your local (Erie County) address, as long as you will have lived there at least 30 days before the election in which you are seeking to vote.  

What do I do with the completed voter registration form? 

Once you've filled out and signed the form you should then mail it to the county board of elections (county in which you are registering to vote).  In Erie County, the address is: 134 West Eagle St., Buffalo, NY 14202.  You can look up the addresses for other New York counties here.

What is the deadline for registering to vote in the 2018 General (Midterm) Election (November 6, 2018)? 
Voter Registration forms must be postmarked no later than October 12 and received by a county Board of Elections no later than October 17 in order for you to be eligible to vote in the General Election on November 6.

You may also register in person at any Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or at the Erie County Board of Elections on 134 West Eagle St., in Buffalo up to October 12, 2018.

What happens after I mail in my voter registration form? Once the board of elections has received and processed the form, you will receive your voter registration card in the mail. This card will list the polling location where you must report to vote based on your registration address. If you misplace the card, you may look up your registration/polling place information with the New York State Board of Elections here.

I already registered, how do I change or update my information/address? 
You can always update or change your name or address by filling out a new voter registration form and mail it, same as above, to your county Board of Elections. You can also fill out a new form to change your party registration, but please note that in New York, party membership changes will not be processed until after the next general election.

Should I register as a member of a political party (i.e., declare party affiliation)? 
In New York you may only vote in a political party's primary (nominating) elections if you are a registered member of that political party.  So, if you want to vote in the primaries, you should select the party in whose primaries you wish to regularly participate on Box 14 of the voter registration form. Checking a box means that you will be recorded as member of that party and will be eligible to vote in only that party's primary elections. 

You can change your party affiliation by filling out a new voter registration form, but please note that in New York state any party affiliation change will not be processed until after the next general election. For example, an application to change one’s party enrollment for 2019 must be received by the board of elections no later than October 12, 2018.

See here for information on changing your party registration. If you wish to remain unaffiliated or independent (no party registration) then you should check the box "No party" on Box 14 of the voter registration form.

Please note: registering as a member of a political party only affects your eligibility to vote in a partisan primary elections (intra-party elections that are held before the general election in which the party members decide which candidate to nominate). In a primary election, only registered members of that party can receive the party’s ballot and may vote).

Declaring partisan affiliation does not in any way affect which candidate or party you may vote for in the general election. In the general election, everyone receives the same ballot with the candidates of all parties listed. You may vote for whichever candidate/party you prefer for each race. You may vote a straight ticket (vote for all of a particular party’s candidates) or split your ticket (cast a vote for which ever candidate you like best for each office – i.e. vote for the Republican candidate for some offices and the Democratic candidates for others). 

Voting: How does it all work?

On election day, you must report to the designated polling place for the address at which you are registered to vote. If you're not sure where your polling place is, or you lost your voter registration card, you may look up your information here.

In New York, POLLS OPEN AT 6 AM - CLOSE AT 9 PM on election day. New York does not have an early voting period and absentee ballot voting is excuse-required (see below). 

What if I'm not able to go to my polling place on the day of the election? 
If you are not able to report to your registered polling place on election day for any of the reasons listed below, then you will need to request an absentee (mail in) ballot. Information on requesting an absentee (mail-in) ballot, along with the absentee ballot request form, can be found here. Upon completion, applications must be mailed to your county board no later than the seventh day before the election or, if delivered in person, no later than the day before the election.

You are eligible to vote absentee if you are: 

·                     Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City, absent from said city, on Election Day. 

·                     Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability; or because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled. 

·                     A patient or inmate in a Veterans' Administration Hospital. 

·                     Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

Students should check "absent from county" when filling out your absentee ballot form.

For the November 6, 2018 General (Midterm) Election, the last day to postmark an absentee ballot request is October 30, 2018. The last day to make an in-person absentee ballot request is November 5.

Absentee ballots (vote) must be returned and post-marked by November 5, or may be delivered in person by November 6 to the appropriate county board of elections.

Do I need ID to vote? 

New York does not have a voter ID requirement, but it does not hurt to have some form of ID with you when you go to the polls in the event your identity or eligibility is challenged. 

I've never voted before, what can I expect? 

There will be trained poll workers to assist you at the polling place. Generally, there is a line/table with poll workers where you check in. The voter registration rolls are divided by precinct – your precinct number is indicated on your voter registration card. If you do not know it, just tell the poll worker where you live (the address at which you are registered to vote) and they will tell you which table to check-in at. The poll workers will check the voter registration rolls for your name.  Once you are verified as properly registered (listed in the voter roll), you will sign the poll book and will be given a ballot and necessary directions by the poll workers as to the voting process.

Erie County uses a DS 200 ballot scanner. You will be given a paper ballot and directed to booth or area where you complete the ballot in privacy.  You will then feed the completed paper ballot into a scanning machine in order to have it counted.  A video on the process can be found here. You can find information on the various voting equipment used in other New York counties here.  If you encounter any difficulties, just ask a poll worker for assistance. 

What if I am turned away at the polls? 

If, for whatever reason, a poll worker tells you that you are not eligible to vote and you believe that this is an error and you are lawfully entitled to vote, you may ask for a provisional ballot.  

Provisional ballots are set aside until the Board of Elections clarifies your eligibility/registration status. If it is determined that you are legally entitled to vote, your ballot will be counted.  If it is determined that you are not eligible/properly registered, the ballot will be destroyed.  You may be asked to fill out/sign an affidavit as to your eligibility/status when casting a provisional ballot.

What if I'm working on Election Day? 

New York does not allow voting by absentee ballot due to your work schedule but it does entitle all workers who do not have at least four consecutive hours free during the period in which the polls are open, to take time off of work (without a loss of pay for up to two hours) in order to vote. Please note that the law requires that you notify your employer and verify eligibility at least 2 days (but no earlier than 10 days) before election day.  You can read the law here and should consult with your employer.

What if I'm Out of State Resident/Voter? 

If you are not a New York state resident, you may register to vote by completing the National Mail Voter Registration Form: http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx.

You may also contact your State's board of elections for state-specific information on registration and absentee voting rules in your state of residency. 

Information for Military and Overseas Federal Voting can be found here.

Still have questions?
Feel free to stop by the History & Political Science Department for help. We're always happy to answer your question or help direct you to the right place to get information.  And remember, you can always contact the NY State Board of Elections, or the Erie County Board of Elections, directly for voter registration assistance.