By Miles Hilton
The November 5th general election is right around the corner. Elections are a chance for Americans to exercise our democratic right to choose our political representatives, and this November the presidency will be on the ballot. Here’s everything you need to know to vote in the General Election.
Who’s Eligible to Vote
To be eligible to vote in New York State, a person must be 18 years old or older, a citizen of the United States, not judged mentally incompetent by a court, and have lived in the state and county in which they are registering for at least 30 days. Those incarcerated on a felony conviction may not vote, but those convicted of a felony who are no longer incarcerated have the right to vote, even if they are on parole. Those convicted of any other class of crime may vote, even if incarcerated. Finally, one cannot be registered to vote in any other location.
Registration
All New York State residents must be registered to vote by October 26 to cast their ballots in the General Election. Check your registration status at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. You can register online by going to elections.ny.gov/voter-registration-process. You can also register by mailing registration forms to your county’s Board of Elections, or by visiting your Board of Elections office in person.
What’s on the Ballot
In addition to the presidency, the offices of Senator, State Supreme Court Justice, Congressional Representative, State Senator, Member of Assembly, and various county positions will be voted on. A New York State constitutional amendment, the “Amendment to Protect Against Unequal Treatment”, will also be on the ballot. Visit candidate web sites to determine who you would like to vote for. Sample ballots can be found on the websites of the Cattaraugus and Chautauqua County Board of Elections.
Early Voting
All registered voters may vote early between October 26 and November 3. Both Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties have multiple early voting locations, and any voter can visit any early voting location in their county. All Chautauqua County early voting poll sites are physically accessible. Visit your county’s Board of Elections website for the locations and hours of early voting poll sites, and remember that if you vote early, you are not eligible to vote on election day.
Mail-In and Absentee Ballots
Any New Yorker registered to vote may vote by mail, also known as ‘early mail ballot’. Applications for early mail ballots must be received by your county’s Board of Elections no later than 10 days before the election, Saturday, October 26. You can request an early mail ballot online at ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/earlymail, or by mailing or delivering an application in-person to your county Board of Elections. Absentee Ballots are available for those who will be out of the county on election day, who are incarcerated, or whose primary care duties preclude voting in person. Voters must submit absentee ballot applications no later than 10 days before the election. Voters who are in the military or living out of the country on election day must visit www.fvap.gov/new-york to request a ballot.
Election Day – November 5th
On November 5th, the day of the general election, poll sites will be open nationwide from 6am-9pm. Those without sufficient time to vote outside of working hours are entitled to up to 2 paid hours off work to vote on election day. If you are in line at the poll site at 9pm, you have the right to cast your ballot. Unlike early voting, when voters may visit any poll site in their county, those planning to vote on the day of the election must go to their election district’s poll site. A list of poll sites by election district may be found on each county’s Board of Elections website, and all New York voters can find their election district and their polling site by visiting voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
For More Information
Cattaraugus County – www.cattco.gov/board-elections
Chautauqua County – chqgov.com/board-of-elections/Board-of-Elections
New York State Voter Information Lookup – voterlookup.elections.ny.gov