New York

Voter Registration in New York

New York Voter Eligibility Requirements

You must register before you can vote in New York.

You are eligible to vote in New York. if you meet all of the following requirements:

• You are a citizen of the United States. 
• You a resident of New York.
• You are at least 18 years of age on Election Day. 

New York Voter Registration ID Requirements

To register to vote:

• You must provide your driver’s license number or state ID card number if you have one.
• If you do not have either of these IDs, you can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security number (SSN).
• If you do not have a Social Security number, then leave that space blank on your registration form.

If you don’t provide any of these numbers or the state can’t match the number you provide to official records, you will have to show an accepted form of ID the first time you vote.

You can use one of the following:

• Unexpired photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card, passport, etc.)
• Current utility bill, bank statement, or government document

New York ID Requirements for Voting In Person

You do not need to show ID when you vote in New York. 

If you didn’t verify your identity when you registered, you need to provide ID the first time you vote for President or Congress.

New York ID Requirements for Voting By Mail

Absentee ballots in New York are only for some voters. 

Reasons you can vote by absentee ballot include:

• Not being in your county (or New York City) on Election Day
• Physical disability or illness

Check the FAQ “Who can vote absentee in New York?” below for the full list of reasons accepted by the state. 

You will be notified if you need to provide ID with your ballot.

Note that the signature on your ballot must match your signature on file with the state.

Frequently Asked Questions