Civic Participation 2020

The 2020 US election takes place on November 3, 2020. Polling sites will be open from 6:00 AM through 9:00 PM. Please make a plan to vote!

New York provides a tool to help you identify your polling place:

Absentee voting, also known as mail-in voting, allows you to mail your ballot rather than voting in person at your polling place. State rules about absentee voting vary, but in New York, an excuse is required, such as absence, illness, caretaker duties, or detention. For the 2020 election, avoiding the risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19 is considered a valid excuse to request an absentee ballot.

Deadlines

If your ballot isn't submitted on time, it won't be counted! There are a few deadlines to keep in mind.

Deadlines for requesting an absentee ballot:

• By mail, etc: October 27. However, to ensure that you receive your ballot in time for the election, the Post Office recommends you submit your request by October 19.
• In person: November 2.

Deadlines for submitting an absentee ballot, either by mail or in person:

• Your ballot must be postmarked by November 3 and received by the Board of Elections by November 10.

Please note that you may submit your absentee ballot to your polling place or Board of Elections in person, on or before Election Day!

Requesting a Ballot

You can request an absentee ballot online, by mail, or in person.

Casting an Absentee Ballot

The ballot will include instructions! 

Absentee ballots come with two envelopes: the security envelope, and the return envelope. Once you're ready to cast your ballot, you should put it inside the security envelope, sign and date it, and then put the whole thing inside the return envelope before sealing it and mailing it.

Your ballot will be rejected if:

• You don't submit it in time
• You don't sign it
• Your signature doesn't match the one on your voter registration
• You try to mail multiple ballots in one envelope or otherwise don't submit it properly

Please follow the instructions to ensure your vote is counted!

Brooklyn Ballot Misprint!

Especially if you live in Brooklyn, you should be on the lookout for ballot misprints. These misprints have been reported in several Brooklyn neighborhoods, and the same company is also responsible for printing ballots in Queens.

Misprinted ballots have different names on the outer and inner envelopes. More information about this error is available here:

If you have received a misprinted ballot, please contact the NYC Board of Elections. Instructions below:

This is the second year that New York has had early voting available. Early voting is beneficial because:

• It makes it easier to find a convenient time to vote
• Shorter lines
• Fewer people will gather at a time, reducing the danger of COVID-19 transmission

When and Where

This year, early voting will take place from October 24 through November 1.  Hours vary by day and place.

If you are voting early, you might vote in a different polling place than you usually would; if you live in Queens, there's an early voting site at Queens College you can use! Check the websites below for polling places and hours.

If you live or are registered in a state outside New York, you can find more information here:

Operating hours for early voting sites in Queens can be found below:

• Monday, Oct. 26, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27, from noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.