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This page answers some of the most common questions concerning voter registration drives.
We believe all voter registration drives should be nonpartisan. That is, you should not endorse or oppose a candidate or party, just try to promote democracy.
You can pick up blank applications from our office. If you need 100 or more applications, please contact
the New York State Board of Elections, 40 Steuben St., Albany NY, 12207. Phone:
518-474-6220, or www.elections.state.ny.us
It is extremely
important that you return the voters' applications to our office before the
next election registration deadline. (See our Homepage for most current deadlines.) The Voter is not registered
until their application has been processed. We would very much appreciate it if
you return applications in small numbers, as much before the deadline as
possible, rather than bring in a large amount on the last day before a
deadline.
To
register, you must:
Be 18
years old by December 31 of the year in which you file your registration card.
Note:
you must be 18 years old by the date of the General, Primary, or other
election in which you want to vote.
Not be in jail or on parole for a felony
conviction. (See below for
more felony rules.)
Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.
You
can use a registration form to:
Register
to vote in the state of New York,
Change your name/address since you last
voted,
Enroll in a political party or change your current enrollment.
(Note – A
change in party status received by October 10, 2008 will be effective in 2009.
Changes after October 10 will be effective in 2010).
Frequently asked
questions:
Can Students from out of county registerand vote
here?
Yes - But you can only
register from one address, either your local residence here, or from your
hometown address.
Can Convicted Felons vote?
Yes, you can register to vote
if:
• You have been convicted of a felony but have been
pardoned.
• Your maximum sentence of imprisonment has expired.
• You have been discharged from parole.
• You have been convicted but have not been sentenced to imprisonment or if the
sentence of imprisonment has been suspended.
• You finished your maximum sentence and are currently serving probation.
Do Homeless People have the right to vote?
Yes - All you need to do
is list the address of a shelter or drop in center, or where you usually spend
the night (example - park bench in
Dewitt Park) as your residential address.
Nonpartisan Voter
Registration Drive Tips
- Never mention a candidate’s or a party’s name.
- If asked how you plan to vote, do not answer the
question.
- If you are asked what party you prefer, do not answer
the question. Rather explain that your purpose is to promote the democratic
process and not particular candidates.
- Do not ask the persons you are working with how they
plan to vote or what their party preference is or make any effort to find out
their allegiance to any candidate or party – whether directly or indirectly.
- Do not select a target area or group because you believe
the voters in that group or areas will favor a particular candidate even if the
candidate is a member of a politically disadvantaged group that your
organization serves.
- Do not publicize which candidates agree with the
position your organization supports.
- Avoid any appearance that your voter registration or Get
Out the Vote activities are timed to coincide with politically significant
events in a particular candidate’s campaign.
- If it is at all possible, it is probably a good idea to
have at least two people present from your organization when this kind of work
in going on. Then, if you are questioned after the fact, you can have someone
testify that nobody said anything of a partisan nature.
- If you plan to use issue advocacy to motivate potential
voters, keep the issues broad or be sure you identify a wide range of issues,
and be careful to follow the advice below.
Talking About Issues While Doing Voter Registration or Get
Out The Vote –
Frequently, it is hard to persuade people to vote. If you
can tell them about the importance of an election because of the importance of
the issues that are involved (e.g., severe funding cuts to important programs),
they might be more likely to vote. It
is permissible for a nonprofit to try to persuade people to register and vote
by emphasizing that the election’s outcome will influence government policy on
issues of importance to them. But the focus of the nonprofit’s efforts must be
on the issues, not on the candidates.
The crux here is that it is safe to talk about issues when the issues
are broadly defined so that some of the issues you are talking about may not be
at play in the particular election for which you are trying to get people to
vote. But if the issues you are raising are narrow in scope (e.g., welfare
reform) and the candidates running in the district in question are clearly
associated with one side of the issue or the other, there may be a problem.
(Above information courtesy of Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, http://www.npccny.org/)
One Vote Makes A Difference Handout (.pdf)