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Seneca County NY Democratic Committee

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A Quick Guide to Absentee Voting for College Students, Travelers, and Others Away from Home

You are eligible  to get an absentee ballot if you will be absent from your county on Election Day (for example if you are in school elsewhere). There are just some deadlines you will need to meet, so take action now. These instructions and dates are for voting in the November 8th General Election. 

Step One: Request a ballot online by Monday October 23rd. It takes seconds. Here is the link https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/  Remember to provide the address where you want the ballot sent, not your home address.

Step Two: Receive your ballot by regular mail at the address you provided.

Step Three:  Fill in your ballot and mail it back.  To be counted, an absentee ballot must be postmarked by  Election Day (that would be November 7th this year) and must reach the Board of Elections no more than fifteen (15) days after the election Be smart! Put it in the mail by November 6th!

  1. Notice that your ballot comes with two envelopes. There is an inner envelope (sometimes called an “oath envelope” or a “privacy envelope”). Then there is a postage-paid outer envelop addressed to the Board of Elections.
  2. Mark your choices on the ballot.
  3. Put your completed ballot into the INNER ENVELOPE. The inner envelope must be sealed (do not use tape or glue), signed, and dated accurately.
  4. Put the inner envelope into the outer envelope and send it back to the board of elections. It must be postmarked on or before November 6. Be smart and do it even earlier. Good News—the postage is free.

If it turns out that you will be in your hometown on Election Day after all…No worries. Bring the ballot with you. You can drop off your absentee ballot in person at your local board of elections, at the early voting site, or at your regular polling place on election day.

Step Three: Congratulations, you did it! You should be proud of yourself for voting. 

For More Information and Special Circumstances

You can find an excellent guide to absentee voting in NY state at this link

You can also contact the Board of Elections directly at (315) 539-1760.

 

Qualifications to receive an Absentee Ballot

  • Absent from your county or 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