Voting FAQ

To register to vote in the City of New York, you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States (Includes those persons born in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
• Be a New York City resident for at least 30 days.
• 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).
• Not be in prison for a felony conviction.
• Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court.
• Not claim the right to vote elsewhere (outside the City of New York).
• A person who is at least sixteen years of age and who is otherwise qualified to register to vote may preregister to vote and shall be automatically registered upon reaching the age of eligibility as provided by this chapter.

Polling places are open 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

You can vote ONLY at your designated polling place. Make sure you are at the correct polling site and Election District (E.D.) for your address.

Find Your Poll Site

You can also call the Voter Phone Bank at 1-866-VOTE-NYC (1-866-868-3692) or e-mail your complete home address to [email protected] and we'll e-mail your polling place location back to you. Please write the name of your borough in the subject line.

99% of all city polling sites are now barrier-free, however, problems remain at some sites. If your site is inaccessible, call your local Borough office for information.

To vote, go to the polling place indicated on your voter registration card. Election officials will look up your address to ensure you are at the right location. After you sign your name on the listing of registered voters, a poll worker will give you a voter card, ballot, and privacy sleeve and direct you to a privacy booth or Ballot Marking Device to mark your ballot.

You may be assisted by any person of your choice, including a trained poll worker, except your employer or union representative, if:

• You cannot read.
• You cannot see the names printed.
• You do not speak English and need an interpreter (interpreters are available at some sites).

The poll site voting system also includes a ballot marking device (BMD), an electronic device that assists voters in marking a paper ballot. It helps all voters, including voters with disabilities, to vote privately and independently at their poll site. Click here to learn more.