Register to Vote

In order to register to vote in New York State, you must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you apply, and live at your present address at least 30 days before an election. This means that most New School students can choose to vote in New York by registering with their local addresses or they can register with a home address and vote in that jurisdiction. If you have registered to vote in more than one location because of a move, you should vote at the location in which you registered last.

Ways to Register

1. Complete the Online Voter Registration Application on the NYC Board of Elections website. 
2. Download a form from the Board of Elections website and mail it in (remember to attach postage).
3. Obtain a voter registration form at a Board of Elections office. The form includes paid postage so you can address it and mail it to the Board of Elections office in your borough. You can also return the form in person to the closest borough office.

Most students have the option to register to vote at either their home address or their local residence. It's important to decide where you will register, as some states are quite lenient and allow same-day voter registration and absentee ballots while others are stricter and require registration a month before the election and restrict out-of-state voting.

Information about voting and registration in all 50 states can be found at vote411.org. The "Voting in Your State" section is particularly useful because it provides deadlines and residency requirements.

The "Register to Vote" button brings you to a page that asks you to provide your email address, to either enter your zip code or choose your state from a drop down menu, and to select register to vote from the list provided. Once you have supplied this information, you will be taken to a registration wizard that will walk you through the voter registration form for your state.

You might also want to use the "On Your Ballot" section of the vote411.org website to learn about issues and candidates in your state. Once you enter an address and zip code, the website will provide local candidate biographies, positions, and major issues in the election.

Check Your Voter Registration Status

Approximately two or three weeks after you submit your registration application of form, you should check to make sure that it was received by your local Board of Elections and that you have been entered into the system correctly, so that there will be no problem when you arrive at your polling place to vote. Use the following websites to check your voter registration status:

• New York State
• Outside New York State

Information about casting a provisional ballot—if your polling place does not have you on record as a registered voter—is available in the easy-to-use state-by-state guide of voting procedures assembled by the League of Women Voters on their vote411.org site.

Find Your Polling Place

It is a good idea to find out where you are expected to vote and then to take a few minutes to figure out the best way to get there. The following websites will help you find the location of your polling place:

• New York City
• Outside New York City

If you need special accommodations because of injury or disability, contact your local Board of Elections ahead of time to confirm that your polling place is accessible and to request a transfer to another polling place if necessary.

The websites shown below provide information about important local and national issues and candidates.The New School takes no responsibility for the content or viewpoint of these sites.

New York State Registered Political Parties

These parties are officially recognized on New York State ballots. If you choose, you can register as a member of one of these parties when completing your voter registration form.

• Conservative
• Democrat
• Green
• Independence
• Republican
• Working Families

Nonpartisan Voter Information Resources

These websites serve as hubs for nonpartisan information about a wide variety of political issues and candidates.

• Project Vote Smart
• Vote 411
• Politics 1
• Real Clear Politics

National News Sources

While sometimes partisan, these websites offer daily updates and breaking news on campaigns and political issues that will be timely for the 2020 election.

• New York Times
• CNN
• Fox News
• MSNBC
• Politico
• The Hill