How to Vote in the 2020 Election

October 27, 2020

With less than a week before the general election on Tuesday, November 3rd, here are your options for voting safely.

Election Day is less than a week away, and many of you have been emailing me with questions about how to make sure your vote is counted.

I put together this article to make sure you have the answers you need to vote and vote with confidence. If it’s helpful, please forward this link to your friends and family.

First, there are three ways to vote: by mail, early in person, and on Election Day.

The voting method I recommend if it is safe for you to do so, is to vote early in person through November 1st.

You can find your poll site and its hours by searching here: https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/.

Note that your early voting site may not be the same as your Election Day voting site, so double check to make sure you are heading to the correct location.

To vote by mail, you must request an absentee ballot by the end of today, Tuesday, October 27. You can (and should) do this online at nycabsentee.com. You can also call 1-866-VOTE-NYC to request a form.

You can select the reason as “Temporary illness or disability” due to the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

You must request an absentee ballot to vote by mail this Fall, even if you voted by mail in the June primaries. (Unless you are already on the permanent absentee voter list due to long-term disability or illness.)

Due to a printing error, absentee ballots are also arriving as an “OFFICIAL ABSENTEE MILITARY BALLOT.” This has no effect on the validity of your ballot, so please send it back as you normally would.

If you request or even cast an absentee ballot, you are still eligible to vote in person (Early Voting or Election Day). Only the in-person vote will be counted.

If you've already applied for your absentee ballot, you can track its status here. The Board of Elections began sending ballots in batches several weeks ago. Once you receive your ballot, mail it back as soon as you can!

You can also drop your absentee ballot off at any early or Election Day poll site or local Board of Elections office to avoid the mail. I recommend doing this if you are able. Unfortunately, long USPS delays are now being reported across the country. (I am still fighting to pass my bill to put 24/7 ballot drop boxes on streets across the city, but unfortunately, we are running out of time).

Finally, if you encounter any voter intimidation or interference, here’s what you should do: