Voter Information and Registrations

What is the National Voter Registration Act?

The National Voter Registration Act is commonly referred to as the "Motor Voter" bill because it provides for new voter registration opportunities at all DMV offices when you apply for or renew your New York State Driver's license or ID card. This is only one major aspect of the NVRA.

It also created the opportunity to register to vote at a variety of other New York State agencies. This component of the NVRA is called "Agency Based Voter Registration Program". You can now register to vote at the same time you are applying for assistance or service from state agencies. For example:

• Social Services Department
• Vocational & Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
• Department of Health
• Office of Mental Health
• Department of Labor
• Office for the Aging

This act has provided major changes in many of the functions of this Board. Bills were introduced years earlier calling for agency and motor voter based registration, but major implementation of this particular Act began in 1995. The primary goals of this implementation were:

• to enhance and increase the opportunities to vote and remain registered,
• to protect the integrity of the electoral process
• to develop fail safe procedures to promote voter activity

Another major aspect of this law is the reasons for which a voters registration is no longer valid. New York State law echoes the Federal Law. A voters registration will become "inactive' if they fail to respond to an address confirmation notice. These records are not sent to the polling place. If an "inactive" voter goes to the polls to cast his vote, he is allowed to vote by affidavit ballot and his registration is restored to "active". A voter's registration shall be canceled if they did not vote in any election conducted by the board of elections during the period ending with the second general election at which candidates for Federal office are on the ballot after their name was placed in inactive status and for whom the board of elections did not, during such period, receive information that such voter still resides in the same county of city. (NYS Election Law 5-400(1)(f))

How NVRA Affected Tompkins County

NVRA has created more work at all local boards of elections. It is now necessary to send an acknowledgement notice to voters, advising them of any changes in their registration. It also requires considerable documentation, because there is a "paper trail" of any action taken which results in the changing of a registration, or the deletion of a registration. Tompkins County currently keeps over 10,000 inactive voters. Annual registration has also grown to 55,156 voters , a growth average of 3% per year. Since 1994, the last gubernatorial year, registration has grown an amazing 23 percent. (Statistics as of January 1, 1999)

Who can Register to Vote?

You must be a registered voter in order to vote in the general or primary elections. To register, you must be a United States citizen, be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18), live at your present address for at least 30 days before an election, and not claim the right to vote elsewhere. You may not register or vote if you are in prison for a felony conviction.

How do I register to vote, change my party or my address?

A registration form is used to register to vote for the first time or to make changes to your registration (ex. address change or party change.)

Register to vote online:

• New York State Board of Elections' Online Voter Registration Portal
• MY DMV (Must have a NYS Driver's License or Non Drivers ID Card to establish a DMV account)

Register to vote in-person or by mail:

• Download and print a Voter Registration Form,
• Call 607-274-5521 to request a form be sent to you, or
• Stop by our office at 128 E. Buffalo Street, Ithaca, NY 14850, to pick up a paper form

Complete the form; sign and date it; then either mail it to us or bring it to our office at 128 E. Buffalo St., Ithaca, NY.

You must have Adobe Acrobat on your computer to see this file. If you get a blank screen, click "refresh." Also, disabling anti-popup software may help. Be sure to click on the printer icon in the Adobe toolbar, not the browser toolbar.

• Military and Overseas Voters (use FPCA absentee application)
• Accessible Registration Form

Note: You cannot register to vote via e-mail or fax.

Board of Elections Interactive Map
Find your polling place, district info and elected representatives.

Where Do I Vote? New York State Voter Database
Search The NY State Voter Database for Election District and Poll Site information (you must be a registered voter.) 

Time Off to Vote Law(PDF, 250KB)
NYSEL 3-110 says that if you do not have sufficient time outside your working hours to vote you may take up to 2 hours at the beginning or end of your shift, with pay, to allow you time to vote.

NYS Voter Bill of Rights