Erie County Safe Voting 2020

Governor Cuomo Has Signed Into Law Absentee Voting Expansions In New York State

All New York State voters can now:

• Apply to vote by absentee ballot using the “temporary illness” cause;
• Apply to vote by absentee ballot more than 30 days ahead of the election; and;
• Boards of elections will now process absentee ballots received the day after the election that do not have a visible postmark date.

Click HERE to request an absentee ballot.  Make sure to check off the “Public Health Emergency (COVID-19)” box to indicate the reason why you are requesting the absentee ballot.  In person early voting will still take place October 24 – November 1 and in person voting on November 3.”

You must qualify to vote by absentee ballot.  The following persons all qualify:

• Unavoidably absent from Erie County
• Unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability
• Temporary illness
• A patient in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital
• Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony
• NEW – Public Health Emergency (COVID-19)

If you meet any of the qualifications, you may vote absentee by mail or in person. Unlike the Primaries, you MUST request the absentee ballot yourself since Cuomo has yet to issue an executive order that would send out applications. To determine the status of your Absentee Ballot Request, click here.

Apply for an absentee ballot:

You may vote absentee by mail or in person.

1. To vote in person, go to the Erie County Board of Elections, pick up an application, and deliver it filled out to the County Board the day before the election.
2. You can print this APPLICATION and mail it no later than 7 days before the election.
3. Click HERE to apply for an absentee ballot online.
4. You can send a letter to the Erie County Board of Elections and request an absentee ballot.  Please include:
   1. Your name and date of birth
   2. The address where you are registered to vote
   3. The reason for your request
   4. If you’re out of the country, where you will be and the dates you will be gone
   5. An address where the ballot is to be sent
   6. Signature of the voter

Once you are approved to vote by absentee ballot, if you can not pick up your ballot or receive it through the mail, you can designate someone to pick it up for you.

If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to vote by absentee ballot for every election without having to reapply.

If the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot has passed and you can not go to the polls on Election Day because of an accident or sudden illness, you can request an Emergency Absentee Ballot by sending a representative with an authorized letter to get an absentee ballot application AND the absentee ballot and return both items filled out to the Erie County Board of Elections by 9 pm on Election Day.

Additionally, if you applied for an absentee ballot but are now able to vote in person at the polls on Election Day, you may do so.

To determine the status of your Absentee Ballot Request, click here.

Absentee Ballot Deadlines for the November 3 General Election:

• Last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail is October 27
• Last day to apply for an absentee ballot in person is November 2
• Last day to mail the absentee ballot back to the Erie County Board of Elections is November 2
• Last day to return an absentee ballot in person is November 3

You can either vote early (at dates and times set by local election officials) or by absentee ballot, which is a mailed in completed ballot in advance of an election (qualifications must be met to apply for an absentee ballot).

For the NY General Election, voters will go to their assigned poll site on Tuesday, November 3, 6 am to 9 pm.

Plan ahead for transportation and figure out how to get to your designated polling place.  Check if you need identification to vote and make sure you bring the proper ID.  You will sign in at your polling place and cast a ballot with either pen and paper or an electronic machine.  Read the instructions to make sure you fill out the ballot correctly.

Look up your polling site HERE.

On voting day, most voters are not required to provide their ID at the polling site.  However, if you did not provide the requested ID upon registering to vote, you will be required to provide it before voting for the first time.

There are multiple voting machines that New York State uses to scan ballots efficiently and accurately to ensure that your vote counts.

• ImageCast: This is a ballot marking device that allows voters with disabilities to privately vote on a paper ballot.  It uses audio and touch interaction for voters with vision challenges.  Voters can listen to selections over headphones, view an LCD screen with an image of the ballot, or utilize a “Sip-N-Puff” paddle device if they have limited hand movement.
• ES&S DS200 Ballot Scanner: This is a portable electronic voting system that uses an optical scanner to read marked paper ballots and tally results.  It arranges the data at the voting site and notifies you of any voting errors.
• ES&S AutoMARK: This is a ballot marking device that provides privacy and accessibility to voters who are blind, vision impaired, or have a condition that does not allow them to mark a ballot.  It also provides language assistance to voters who are more comfortable speaking an alternative language or have difficulty reading.  Like ImageCast, it is equipped for “Sip-N-Puff” and paddle devices for voters with limited hand movement.

If you have moved since you last voted or registered to vote,  you need to update your voter registration information.

If it is on or before the voter registration deadline, you can simply register to vote at your new address (see information above on Registering to Vote).

If you moved after the voter registration deadline, you have a few options depending on where you moved:

• If you moved within the same voting district and you polling place remained the same, provide the poll worker with your new address.  You should be able to vote using a regular ballot.
• If you moved within the same county, go to your new polling place and cast an affidavit ballot.  An affidavit ballot is given if your name does not appear in the poll book.  The ballot should be counted and your address changed in voter registration records.
• If you moved to a different county or out of state, you are only eligible to vote for president and vice president, not a full ballot.  You can do this by applying for a special presidential ballot from where you used to live.  You can do this by mailing your application to the county board no later than 7 days before the election or by in-person delivery of the application on or before Election Day.

Persons serving in the military, along with their spouses and dependent(s), may register as a military voter in New York.  This means they can receive an absentee ballot for all federal, state, and local races they are entitled to vote in based on their New York residence.

To register as a new military voter and request an absentee ballot, you must complete this FORM.  This application will register you to vote and serve as your absentee ballot application for 2 federal general election cycles.

The application is also available from your Voting Assistance Officer on base and the Federal Voting Assistance Program.  There are multiple ways you can receive your ballot and you can state your preference on the application.

Regardless of how you receive your ballot, you must return your ballot to your local county board of elections by postal mail.

For more information on Military and Overseas voting, click HERE.

After completing your prison and/or parole sentence, you may register to vote.

If a citizen has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a sentence of imprisonment or parole, they can not vote in New York.  However, in May 2018, Governor Cuomo began to restore voting rights to people successfully completing the terms of state parole.  Click HERE for more information.

Citizens who are on probation retain their right to vote.

If you are detained awaiting Grand Jury action or are confined in prison after conviction for an offense that is not a felony, you may obtain an absentee ballot.

If you were previously registered to vote and lost your right to vote due to a felony conviction, you must re-register to vote by the registration deadline (see above on Registering to Vote).