Like many states, New York offers you the opportunity to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles when you apply for a driver license or photo ID card.

You can also find important information about registering to vote, as well as registration methods, at the New York State Board of Elections―and fortunately the board makes it easy for you to participate in the democratic process (or at least have the right to gripe about an election's outcome).

Registering to vote is easy and empowers you to have as much say as anyone else about your laws and leaders countywide, statewide, and at the federal level. There are a number of qualifications to become a registered voter in the United States. You must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you register (you must also be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary, or other election in which you want to vote)

• Live at your present address at least 30 days before an election

• Not be in jail or on parole for a felony conviction

• Not claim the right to vote elsewhere

Your voter registration is valid for life as long as you don't move or change your name, so there is no need to reregister before every election. If you do move or change your name, simply complete a new voter registration form. You may do the same if you change your party affiliation, though you do not need to declare a party affiliation in order to vote.

Once you're registered, your county clerk will mail you a voter registration card that tells you where your polling station is (you must vote at your assigned polling station).

How to Register

While there are many ways to get your hands on a registration form, in all cases you will need to supply the actual completed form to the Board of Elections―there is no online registration. You may register any of the following ways:

• Register in person at your local DMV office when you apply for a driver license or ID card.

• Register in person at your county Board of Elections (find your local office).

• Register in person at one of these state agency offices.

• Ask the elections board to send you an application by filling out the form online. Once you get the registration form you will need to mail the completed form to your county Board of Elections.

• Or, you can download the full registration form in English or Spanish. Print it, complete it, sign it, and mail it to your county Board of Elections.

Visit the New York State Board of Elections Web site for detailed information about registering to vote, upcoming elections, and more.

To apply to vote absentee, while stationed out of state in the military, or from abroad, follow these links:

• Absentee voting

• Military voting

• Voting in federal elections while living abroad

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