You can vote by absentee ballot if you can’t vote on Election Day or at an early voting poll site because of one of the following reasons:
- Business
- Studies
- Travel
- Imprisonment (not including convicted felons)
- Illness
- Disability
- Hospitalization
- Residency in a long-term care facility
Learn more about absentee voting.
Apply for an Absentee Ballot
You must complete and submit an Absentee Ballot Application by the deadline to receive an absentee ballot.
The application must include:
- Your name
- The home address listed on your voter registration
- Your mailing address (if different)
- Your reason for voting absentee
- Your signature
Online
Request an absentee ballot.
Download an absentee ballot application.
By Email
Send your completed application to Apply4Absentee@boe.nyc.
In Person
Pick up an application at a Board of Elections office.
By Phone
You can have a postage-paid application mailed to you.
- Agency: Board of Elections
- Division: Vote Phone Bank
- Phone Number: (866) 868-3692
- Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
- Staff is available through the automated phone system during business hours. Automated assistance is also available in Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish. Call volume is often high. If you receive a busy signal or can't get through, call back later.
Submit an Absentee Ballot
After you have received and completed an absentee ballot, you can mail it to the Board of Elections (BOE) or drop it off in person.
Note that New York State Election Law allows voters who have requested or returned their absentee ballot to still vote in person. An in-person vote will override and invalidate any absentee ballot received by the Board.
By Mail
You can mail your absentee ballot to your BOE Borough Office.
To be counted, your absentee ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day and must also be received by the borough office no later than 7 days after Election Day. The Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least 7 days before Election Day to ensure it is received on time.
In Person
Absentee voting in person begins as soon as the ballots are available (at least 32 days before an election) and ends on Election Day.
You can drop off your completed absentee ballot and envelope in absentee ballot boxes at any BOE Office, Early Voting site, or Election Day site. You will not have to wait in line.
You can find the closest Early Voting and Election Day poll sites near you using the Poll Site Locator. Note that not all Early Voting sites will be available for ballot drop off on Election Day.
You must deliver your ballot no later than 9 PM on Election Day.
Track Ballot Status
You can check the status of your absentee ballot application and track your ballot after you have submitted your application.
Check the status of an absentee ballot.
If you need help with your ballot status, you can contact the Board of Elections.
By Email
Send a message to AbsenteeHelp@boe.nyc.
By Phone
- Agency: Board of Elections
- Division: Vote Phone Bank
- Phone Number: (866) 868-3692
- Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
- Staff is available through the automated phone system during business hours. Automated assistance is also available in Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish. Call volume is often high. If you receive a busy signal or can't get through, call back later.
Emergency Absentee Ballots
If the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail has passed and you can’t appear at the polls on Election Day because of an accident or sudden illness, you can send a representative.
The representative must have an authorized letter to receive an Absentee Ballot Application and an absentee ballot by the close of business, the day before the election.
To be valid, both the completed application and ballot envelope, which contains only the completed ballot, must be delivered to your BOE Borough Office by 9 PM on Election Day.