Early voting kicks off tomorrow ahead of the General Election on Nov. 5. While the presidential contest is the big ticket there is plenty else at stake for New Yorkers. We’ve answered some key voting questions below along with an explainer of the city-specific ballot proposals.
When is the election? What are the key dates and deadlines to know?
Oct. 26 (Saturday)
- Early in person voting starts and runs through Sunday, Nov. 3
- Voter registration application deadline; the Board of Elections must receive your voter registration application via mail, in person or online by this date
- The deadline for the BOE to receive your request for an early mail or absentee ballot via email, fax, mail or online portal (the in person deadline is Nov. 4)
Nov. 3 (Sunday)
Nov. 4 (Monday)
- This is the last day to apply in person at the BOE for an early mail or absentee ballot
Nov. 5 (Tuesday)
- Election Day!
- This is the last day to postmark your early mail or absentee ballot and the last day to deliver a ballot in person at the BOE office or a poll site
What times are the polls open for early voting and Election Day?
Early voting:
- Oct. 26 (Saturday): 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Oct. 27 (Sunday): 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Oct. 28 (Monday): 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Oct. 29 (Tuesday): 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Oct. 30 (Wednesday): 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Oct. 31 (Thursday): 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Nov. 1 (Friday): 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Nov. 2 (Saturday): 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Nov. 3 (Sunday): 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Election Day:
- Nov. 5 (Tuesday): 6 a.m.-9 p.m. (voters in line by 9 p.m. can cast a ballot)
To register to vote in New York City you have to:
- be a U.S. citizen (that includes anyone born in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
- be a New York City resident for at least 30 days
- be 18 years of age on or before Election Day, Nov. 5
You cannot:
- be ruled mentally incompetent by a court
- claim the right to vote anywhere else outside the city
- currently be in prison for a felony conviction (learn more about voting with a criminal record here)
Am I registered to vote?
New York City residents can check their voter registration status online or by calling 1-866-868-3692.
How do I register to vote?
New Yorkers can register to vote online, by mail or in person. The Board of Elections has a guide to all three here, and you can also register through TurboVote and the DMV.
How do I get an absentee or early mail ballot?
You can apply for an absentee or early mail ballot through the BOE website. NYC Votes, an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, also has a handy guide to both here. The deadline is Saturday, Oct. 26.
Where is my polling place?
You can search for your polling place, check accessible entrances and look up what districts you are in here. Note: your polling site for early voting may be different than the one for Election Day.
What’s on the ballot?
Everyone’s ballot will look different depending on where you live. Everyone in New York City will be asked for their choice of the next president, namely either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. There are also number of local elections, including for State Senate and Assembly, and junior Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is up for reelection.
You can look up a sample ballot on the city BOE’s website or on Ballotpedia.
Lastly, New York City residents will be asked to vote on six ballot proposals, one statewide proposal and five citywide ones. Read more about them below.
What’s the deal with the ballot proposals?
On the back of the ballot will be six proposals for New York City residents to weigh in on: the first is a statewide measure that would add anti-discrimination provisions to the State Constitution. The remaining five ballot proposals are would-be amendments to the City Charter pushed by Mayor Eric Adams from a Charter Revision Commission he assembled.
The first proposal is arguably the least controversial, with supporters saying it would safeguard abortion access in the state and close loopholes in anti-discrimination laws, though some conservative critics have described the language as too vague.
But it’s the latter five that have proved most divisive, following a lengthy power struggle between Adams and the City Council. The Council has described the Charter Revision Commission process as “rushed” and said proposals 2 through 6 represent an executive power grab that would undermine the Council. Groups like the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Working Families Party are urging voters to split their ballot by voting “yes” to the first proposal and “no” to the last five, describing the latter as “anti-Democratic.”
Here are the six proposals and a brief explainer for each:
Proposal 1: “Amendment to Protect Against Unequal Treatment”
“This proposal would protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. It also protects against unequal treatment based on reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”
- A “YES” vote puts these protections in the New York State Constitution
- A “NO” vote leaves these protections out of the State Constitution
This would prohibit discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability and sex by enshrining these rights in the State Constitution. While the word “abortion” doesn’t appear in the text of the question, the measure is described as safeguarding abortion and reproductive health access at the state level. Some Republicans, however, have attempted to paint it as an overreaching measure that threatens family values.
Proposal 2: “Cleaning Public Property”
“This proposal would amend the City Charter to expand and clarify the Department of Sanitation’s power to clean streets and other City property and require disposal of waste in containers.”
- Voting “Yes” will expand and clarify the Department of Sanitation’s power to clean streets and other City property and require disposal of waste in containers
- Voting “No” leaves laws unchanged
This would essentially give the Sanitation Department more authority, including the jurisdiction to clean all city-owned property at the direction of the mayor, the power to regulate trash containerization and greater oversight of street vendors — something advocates have warned could lead to more crackdowns. The Council has said the proposal “bypasses and reduces the public’s ability to influence specific changes to sanitation laws.”
Proposal 3: “Additional Estimates of the Cost of Proposed Laws and Updates to Budget Deadlines”
“This proposal would amend the City Charter to require fiscal analysis from the Council before hearings and votes on laws, authorize fiscal analysis from the Mayor, and update budget deadlines.”
- Voting “Yes” would amend the City Charter to require additional fiscal analysis prior to hearings and votes on local laws, and update budget deadlines
- Voting “No” leaves laws unchanged
This measure would add a new fiscal analysis requirement for proposed bills and mandate an eight-day heads up for the Mayor’s office before public hearings, something the Council has described as a “redundant” layer of bureaucracy that would further slow the legislative process.
Proposal 4: “More Notice and Time Before Votes on Public Safety Legislation”
“This proposal would require additional public notice and time before the City Council votes on laws respecting the public safety operations of the Police, Correction, or Fire Departments.”
- Voting “Yes” will require additional notice and time before the Council votes on laws respecting public safety operations of the Police, Correction, or Fire Departments
- Voting “No” leaves laws unchanged
Proposal 4 would also require the Council to give the Mayor advanced notice, specifically an extra 30 days for laws related to public safety. As with the previous proposal, critics argue this would add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy that would give the Mayor extra power and delay laws, while proponents say it would allow for more public input.
Proposal 5: “Capital Planning”
“This proposal would amend the City Charter to require more detail in the annual assessment of City facilities, mandate that facility needs inform capital planning, and update capital planning deadlines.”
- Voting “Yes” would require more detail when assessing maintenance needs of City facilities, mandate that facility needs inform capital planning, and update capital planning deadlines
- Voting “No” leaves laws unchanged
This would broaden the annual analysis of city-owned infrastructure to include more information around maintenance and repair. While it was described as drawing on suggestions from Comptroller Brad Lander’s office, Lander said the proposal is “meaningless, does not advance transparency, and fails to improve the City’s capital planning process in any way.”
Proposal 6: “Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs), Film Permits, and Archive Review Boards”
“This proposal would amend the City Charter to establish the Chief Business Diversity Officer (CBDO), authorize the Mayor to designate the office that issues film permits, and combine archive boards.”
- Voting “Yes” would establish the CBDO to support MWBEs, authorize the Mayor to designate the office that issues film permits, and combine two boards
- Voting “No” leaves laws unchanged
The final measure has three components: formalizing a position overseeing MWBEs, transferring the power to issue film permits from the Department of Small Business Services to the Mayor’s office, and combining two similar Charter-created boards tasked with reviewing municipal archives. As with other proposals, the Council has argued this gives the Mayor extra powers at the expense of public input.
