A guide to voting in November elections in person and by mail

A: Voters may cast their ballots before Election Day in person during the early voting period and by applying for and submitting an absentee ballot by mail or in person. They also may vote in person on Election Day.

Early voting will be available at selected polls in Nassau and Suffolk counties from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1. The list of polling places that will be open for extended and weekend hours will be posted by boards of elections in each county. As on Election Day, voters must wear protective masks or one will be provided to them.

Voters may also submit absentee ballots at early polling sites as late as Election Day.

All voters may apply for an absentee ballot if they are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 at polling places. The law has been changed to include concern about "the risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19” as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot. However, the current application forms do not list COVID-19 under the reasons. Because no new forms will be printed, state Board of Elections officials say voters concerned about the virus should check the box next to temporary illness or physical disability. Voters should not fear that their application will be rejected because the form doesn't specifically cite COVID-19, officials said.

A voter may also vote by mail under other traditional reasons for seeking an absentee ballot, including being away from your home county on Election Day; illness or disability; being the primary care giver of one or more ill or disabled people; a resident or patient of a veterans hospital; or in jail awaiting grand jury action or serving a sentence on a conviction other than a felony.

A: Absentee ballot application forms are available on the state and counties’ boards of elections websites to be downloaded, completed and mailed or faxed to the voter’s county board of elections.

For example, voters may download PDF versions of the absentee ballot application form in English at https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/AbsenteeBallot-English.pdf or in Spanish at https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/AbsenteeBallot-Spanish.pdf

A letter also can be sent to the county board of elections requesting an application. The letter must include the voter’s name and date of birth, the voter’s address where he or she is registered to vote, the address to where the ballot should be mailed and the reason for using an absentee ballot.

The state Board of Elections on Tuesday opened a portal that allows all voters statewide to apply for absentee ballots online. It's called the  "Electronic Absentee Ballot Application Portal" on the state Board of Elections website https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingAbsentee.html. That includes concern about COVID-19 as a specific reason to qualify for an absentee ballot. 

In addition, the state Board of Elections will offer an accessible absentee ballot application for voters with visual impairments or limited vision. That form will also be on the state's absentee voting web page.

A: A voter must apply for his or her own absentee ballot. It is a felony to apply for or cast someone else’s ballot or to help anyone to cast an illegal ballot.

If a voter who applies for an absentee ballot but can’t pick up his or her ballot or receive it by mail, the voter can designate someone to physically pick up the ballot. Only the person designated on the voter’s application can pick up and deliver the ballot to the voter.

Permanently ill or physically disabled voters may file an application with their county board of elections to receive absentee ballots every year without having to apply each year.

A: The last day to apply is Oct. 27, which is seven days before Election Day. The postmark can’t be later than Oct. 27. The state Board of Elections warns, however, that the U.S. Postal Service said it can’t guarantee on-time delivery of ballots applied for less than 15 days before Election Day.

The application form will be mailed to a voter with a ballot and both must be completed and mailed back to the local board of elections together.

A voter may apply for an absentee ballot in person at their local board of elections as late as Nov. 2, the day before Election Day.

A: Absentee ballots will start to be mailed to applicants beginning Sept. 18.

A: Once voters decide who to vote for, they must mark their choices on the ballot and then place it in the security envelope provided.

Sign and date the outside of the security envelope where marked.

Then, seal the security envelope.

Place the security envelope in the return envelope, which will have a return address of the voter’s county board of elections and will be marked “official election mail.”

Then, seal the return envelope.

A: The ballot must be mailed early enough to get a postmark no later than Nov. 3.

A: An absentee ballot may be deposited at an early voting site between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1. Those sites will be listed through county boards of elections on websites and will have extended hours including on weekends.

A voter may visit their county board of elections and drop off the ballot. Many boards of elections will have secure drop boxes to deposit ballots.

A voter may also bring the absentee ballot to the polls on Election Day and drop it off there.

Sources: State Board of Elections, county boards of election, governor’s office