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Absentee Voting
Absentee Voting
The Primary Election will be held on June 28, 2022. The early
voting period is June 18-26, 2022.
General Election Day will
be held on November 8, 2022. The early voting period is October 29 - November
6, 2022.
Qualifications to Vote by Absentee Ballot (Deadlines)
- Absent
from your county or, if a resident of New York City absent from the five
boroughs, on Election Day.
- Unable
to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability
(temporary illness includes being unable to appear due to risk of
contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19).
- Unable
to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more
individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
- A
resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital.
- Detained
in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction
for an offense other than a felony.
How to Apply for an Absentee Ballot (Deadlines)
You
may apply for an absentee ballot in any of the following ways:
- 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 ( pdf 574KB) > Download Spanish Form (
pdf 730KB) >
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.
- You
may apply using the online Absentee Ballot Application portal: https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/
- If
you are visually impaired and require a ballot with accessible features
you may apply using the online Accessible Absentee Ballot Application
portal: https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/home/accessible
When is it due?
Applications
requesting to receive an absentee ballot by mail must be received by the board
of elections in your county no later than fifteen 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.
How to Cast an Absentee Ballot
- Once
your receive the ballot, mark the ballot according to your choices for
each office following the instructions on the ballot
- 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.)
- Sign
and date the outside of the Security Envelope.
- Seal
the Security 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”)
- Seal
the Return Envelope.
You may return the ballot in any of the
following ways:
For the June Primary
Election:
- Put
it in the mail ensuring it receives a postmark no later than June 28th.
- Bringing
it to the County Board of Elections Office no later than June 28th by 9pm.
- Bringing
it to an early voting poll site in your county between June 18th and June
26th.
- Bringing
it to a poll site in your county on June 28th by 9pm.
For the November
General Election:
- Put
it in the mail ensuring it receives a postmark no later than November 8th.
- Bringing
it to the County Board of Elections Office no later than November 8th by
9pm.
- Bringing
it to an early voting poll site in your county between October 29th and
November 6th.
- Bringing
it to a poll site in your county on November 8th by 9pm.
Mail Time Considerations When Returning an
Absentee Ballot
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.
Absentee Cures
There
are certain errors or problems that can occur when a voter completes an
absentee 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 ( pdf 105KB).
New Absentee Ballot Procedure
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 absentee
ballot for that election. Voters who have already been issued an absentee
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 absentee ballot has been received. If the voter’s
absentee ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If
the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be
counted.
If
a voter requests a second absentee ballot, any previously issued absentee
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 absentee 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.
Contact Us
-
Board of Elections
Joseph Fazzary, Commissioner (R)
Carolyn Elkins, Commissioner (D)
105 Ninth St. Unit 13
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Ph: (607) 535-8195
Fx: (607) 535-8364
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday8:30 am - 4:30 pm