If you live in New York City and want to vote in 2026, you need to be registered at your current address, and then you can cast a ballot one of three ways: during the nine-day early voting window, by mail, or in person on Election Day between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. at your assigned poll site.1NYC Board of Elections. Upcoming Elections 2026 Voting in NYC is run by the city’s Board of Elections across all five boroughs, and the rules below cover who qualifies, how to register, the 2026 deadlines, and what to expect at the polls.
Who Can Register
You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and a resident of New York State and your county (borough) for at least 30 days before the election.2New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 5-102 – Qualifications of Voters; Age and Residence The 30 days run from when you move in, not from when you register.
Sixteen- and 17-year-olds can pre-register; the registration converts automatically on their 18th birthday.3New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 5-507 – Voter Pre-Registration and Education on Voter Pre-Registration If you have a past felony conviction, you can register and vote so long as you are not currently incarcerated; a 2021 law restored voting rights on release regardless of parole or probation.4New York State Board of Elections. Voting After Incarceration
College students in NYC can register at either their campus or dorm address or their family’s address, but not both. New York residency only requires that you consider the address your current home and plan to return there after temporary absences like summer break.2New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 5-102 – Qualifications of Voters; Age and Residence
How to Register
There are three paths onto the voter rolls: online through the DMV, automatic registration at the DMV, and a paper form.
If you have a New York State driver’s license, learner permit, or non-driver ID, you can register through the DMV’s electronic voter registration portal. The DMV forwards your application to your borough’s Board of Elections, which processes it in about six weeks.5New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application
You may already be registered without realizing it. When you apply for, renew, or update a license, permit, or non-driver ID, you are automatically registered to vote unless you opt out.5New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application
Without a state ID, you can fill out a paper registration form from your borough Board of Elections office, the DMV, or other government agencies. The form asks for either a state ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, include a copy of a current photo ID, utility bill, bank statement, or government document showing your name and address.6NYC Board of Elections. Voter ID
The form has a field for party enrollment. You can pick a party or leave it blank. That one choice has large consequences in New York, which the primary section below explains.
2026 Registration Deadlines
Your registration must reach the Board of Elections at least 10 days before the election, and if you mail it, the postmark has to be no later than 15 days before.7New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 5-210 – Registration and Enrollment and Change of Enrollment Upon Application For 2026:
- Primary Election (June 23, 2026): register by June 13, 2026.
- General Election (November 3, 2026): register by October 24, 2026.
Once processed, you’ll get a voter card confirming your registration, polling location, and district numbers. Before every election, check your status at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov using your name, date of birth, county, and zip code.9NY State Board of Elections. Voter Search Screen for VoterLookUp Voters who assume they’re still registered sometimes find out otherwise at the poll site.
Party Enrollment and the February Deadline
New York runs closed primaries. You can only vote in a party’s primary if you are enrolled in that party, and the deadline to change your party enrollment is February 14 of the election year.8New York State Board of Elections. Registration and Voting Deadlines Any party change filed after February 14, 2026 won’t take effect until June 30, after the June 23 primary.
This is the single biggest trap in NYC voting. If you want to vote in a specific party’s 2026 primary, your enrollment in that party has to be on file by February 14. New registrants should pick a party on the form; existing voters who want to switch should do it well before February.
Three Ways to Cast Your Ballot
Early In-Person Voting
Every primary, general, and special election has a nine-day early voting window that ends the Sunday before Election Day.10New York State Board of Elections. Early Voting In 2026, early voting runs June 13 through June 21 for the primary and October 24 through November 1 for the general election.1NYC Board of Elections. Upcoming Elections 2026
Your early voting site is usually different from your Election Day poll site, and hours vary by day. Look up your assigned site at findmypollsite.vote.nyc before going.11NYC Board of Elections. Find My Poll Site
Early Mail Voting
Under the Early Mail Voter Act, any registered voter can request a mail-in ballot without giving a reason. This is separate from the older absentee ballot system, which remains available for voters who are absent from the county, ill, or physically unable to get to a poll site.12New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 8-700 – Early Voting by Mail; Application for Ballot
Request a ballot at least 10 days before the election if applying online or by mail. In person at your borough Board of Elections office, you can apply as late as the day before the election.12New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 8-700 – Early Voting by Mail; Application for Ballot Fill it out, seal it in the provided envelope, and mail it back or drop it off at your Board of Elections office.
Election Day
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at your assigned location.1NYC Board of Elections. Upcoming Elections 2026 Your Election Day site is tied to your registered address and is often different from your early voting site. Lines tend to be longest at the morning rush and around 5 p.m.
Ranked Choice Voting
NYC uses ranked choice voting for primary and special elections for five offices: Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council.13NYC Board of Elections. Ranked Choice Voting for NYC Local Elections General elections use the traditional single-choice format.
You can rank up to five candidates in order of preference, rank fewer, or pick just one.13NYC Board of Elections. Ranked Choice Voting for NYC Local Elections If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, they win outright. Otherwise, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those voters’ next choices are redistributed, round by round, until someone crosses 50 percent.
Ranking additional candidates does not hurt your first choice. A second-choice vote only counts if your first choice has already been eliminated. Leaving rankings blank just means your ballot stops counting if your picks are eliminated early.
If There’s a Problem at the Poll Site
If your name isn’t in the poll book, don’t leave. You have the right to vote by affidavit ballot. A poll worker will help you fill out a sworn statement with your name, address, and the reason you believe you’re registered. Your ballot is sealed in a special envelope, and the Board of Elections checks your eligibility after the election; if everything matches, your vote counts.14New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 8-302 – Voting; Verification of Registration
First-time voters who didn’t provide ID when registering may be asked to show a current photo ID or a document like a utility bill or bank statement with their name and address before using a regular voting machine. If you don’t have ID with you, you can still vote by affidavit ballot.14New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 8-302 – Voting; Verification of Registration
Your Rights on Election Day
If your work schedule doesn’t leave you at least four consecutive hours between poll opening at 6 a.m. and the start of your shift, or between the end of your shift and poll closing at 9 p.m., your employer must give you up to two hours of paid time off to vote. You can take it at the beginning or end of your shift, though your employer may designate which. Give your employer at least two working days’ notice and no more than ten.15New York State Senate. New York Code ELN 3-110 – Time Allowed Employees to Vote Your employer cannot force you to use personal or vacation time.
If you are in line when the polls close at 9 p.m., you have the right to stay in line and vote. No one can turn you away.16New York State Board of Elections. Know Your Rights
Any voter can ask for help at the polling site for any reason.17New York State Board of Elections. Accessible Voting If you need help marking your ballot, a poll worker or someone you bring with you can assist. NYC also provides interpretation at select poll sites in more than a dozen languages, including Spanish, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Bengali, Korean, Haitian Creole, Russian, Arabic, and Urdu, with coverage varying by borough.