Tuesday, October 30, 2018

TWF 288: Absentee Ballots In New York State! (How to vote if you can't be in town!)


Hello, Freeporters (and everyone else!)

Election Day is Tuesday, November 6th, and if you're registered, you all need to vote  It's the most fundamental right we have as Americans, people have died for it, and you know all the reasons to do it.  After all, you read The Weekly Freeporter, and surely other things, and are therefore pretty well informed, right?

“But, Jesse, what if I can't? What if I have to be out of town?  What if I'm scheduled for surgery?"

Well, there's actually an answer to that, and – as I found out while researching for a friend – it's not at all too late (as of 10/30/2018!) to put a plan into place! See, while New York State has a myriad of problems, it's actually pretty good about absentee ballots, provided you are already a registered voter.

According to the New York State Absentee Voting website, the procedure for getting an Absentee Ballot (which you can send in to be counted if you aren't in town!) are as follows:

  • First, you must fill out an application. (You can get a printable .PDF format version at the above website which will detail all the specifics)
  • Second, assuming you live in Nassau County, you must take it to the Nassau County Board of Elections 240 Old Country Road, #5 Mineola NY, 11501. (If you live in Suffolk County, that information can be accessed at their website by clicking this link. ) If you don't have an application printed out, you can get an application at the Board.
  • Third, and this is key: You MUST bring the application in-person up until the day before the election. It is already too late to MAIL the application in. Bring as many forms of identification as you feel you may need (preferably 2).


Assuming all goes well, once your application is approved you will get an absentee ballot that you can fill out and mail in. At least, that seems to be the case; the websites in question are a little less clear about what to do with an absentee ballot, but that's where you, dear reader, demonstrate your intelligence by being very clear in asking questions. Remember, the people working for the county are here to help you exercise your right to vote. As long as your are polite to them, they'll be happy to help!

If you go this route, please leave a comment or write a message with how the procedure went!


Jesse Pohlman is the writer of the not-so-weekly-these-days The Weekly Freeporter. He also writes various novels, available on Amazon's Kindle.

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