One of our most important civic rights is the right to vote. On Tuesday, September 10, 2013, primary elections will be held across the State for a variety of offices. In many places, there will be elections for mayors, council members, sheriffs, etc. No matter how small the race seems, your vote is important. Voter turnout in primary elections is notoriously small. This means that races can be decided by a handful of votes. Makes sure the candidate you support wins by getting out and voting.
If you aren’t registered to vote, there is still time. The deadline for registering to vote in the September primary elections is August 16, 2013. You can register by mail, and your application must be postmarked by August 16th and received by your county board of elections no later than August 21, 2013. You may register in person at your local board of elections or any state agency that participates in the National Voter Registration Act, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. The in person registration must be done by August 16 if you want to vote in the primary elections.
If you have moved or changed your name, and have not yet updated your information, you have until August 21, 2013 to get the change of address to your county board of elections. To change this information, you use the voter registration form and fill out the change information. Again, this can be done by mail or in person.
To find your local county board of elections, please visit:
http://www.elections.ny.gov/CountyBoards.html
To find a state agency that participates in the National Voter Registration Act, please visit: http://www.elections.ny.gov/NVRA.html
To fill out your voter registration form online and print it, please visit:
http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteform_enterable.pdf
To get a paper copy of the voter registration form, please visit: http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html
If you won’t be in town on September 10, 2013, you can still vote! You simply need to apply for an absentee ballot. Follow this link for more information:
http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingAbsentee.html
The general elections will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. If you miss the primary registration deadline, you have until October 11, 2013 to register with your county board of elections. Look for more important information regarding the general election in the upcoming communicators.