VOTER REGISTRATION

Qualifications to Register to Vote

• be a United States citizen;
• be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18);
• resident of this state and the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election;
• not be in prison for a felony conviction;
• not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;
• not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

You may contact the Niagara County Board of Elections to request a New York State Voter Registration Form. In addition, most state agency offices and post offices can supply you with a registration form.

You may also download and print out the forms by clicking on the links below.
Download English Form
Download Spanish Form

Registering and changes may be done on at your DMV  in person or online.

Voter ID Requirements

Voter ID Requirements for Mail Registration

Voters who registered by mail since January 1, 2003, must be prepared to show one of the following forms of acceptable identification at the polling place on election day:

Identification to be accepted at the polling place must be either:

(1) a current and valid photo identification with the voter’s name and picture

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• passport
• driver’s license
• non-drivers ID card
• student identification cards
• pistol or firearm permit
• pilot’s license
• military identification
• government identification

—OR—

(2)   a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows the name and address of the voter.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

“A Current Utility Bill” would include: gas, telephone, electric, water or other utility bill

“Bank Statement” would include: statement from a banking institution or credit union

Government Check or Paycheck” would include:

• social security administration check statementsa
• government or military paycheck or paycheck stub

Other Government Document” would include:

• hunting, fishing or trapping license
• electronic benefit transaction (EBT) cards
• public housing lease and rent statements and agreements, or rent statement agreements provided pursuant to subsidized housing programs
• public housing identification cards
• tuition statements or bills from public colleges and universities
• bills from a federal, state, or local government
• discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence or other matter, in accordance with state law
• government homeless shelter identification cards

Voter Information Notice – Overvotes

Absentee Ballots

To obtain an absentee ballot, contact the Niagara County Board of Elections, 111 Main St., Suite 100, Lockport, NY 14094

(716) 438-4040 (Republican)
(716) 438-4041 (Democratic)

You may also download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form.
Click Here to Download the Absentee Ballot Application
Click Here to check the status of your Absentee Ballot

If you are a Military voter or a citizen living outside the United States, Click Here to Request and Absentee Ballot

Qualifications to Vote by Absentee Ballot

1. Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City absent from the five boroughs, on Election Day.
2. Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability (temporary illness includes being unable to appear due to risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19).
3. Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
4. A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital.
5. Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

Ways to Apply for an Absentee Ballot

• Mail us a paper absentee application
• Mail us a letter *
• Electronically through the New York State Absentee Portal 
• Come to our office in-person

* If you send us a letter,  it must contain the following information:
– Name and date of birth of the voter
– The address where you are registered
– An address where the ballot is to be sent, and
– The reason for the request.

If you apply by letter, an application form will be mailed with your ballot. The application form must be completed and returned with your ballot.

If you cannot pick up your ballot, or will not be able to receive it through the mail, you have the right to designate someone to pick it up for you. Only that person designated on your application may pick up and deliver your ballot.

If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to receive an Absentee Ballot for each subsequent election without further application. Simply file an application with your county board of elections indicating permanent illness or physical disability.

You will then automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election until your registration is canceled.
* If you are a voter with special needs, you may also apply for an accessible absentee ballot using the Accessible Absentee Ballot Application.

How to Cast an Absentee Ballot

* Once your receive the ballot, mark the ballot according to your choices for each office following the instructions on the ballot
* Once you have completed marking your ballot fold it up and place it in the Security Envelope. (This envelope will have a place for your signature.)
* Sign and date the outside of the Security Envelope.
* Seal the Security Envelope.
* Place the Security Envelope in the Return Envelope. (This envelope will have the return address of your county Board of Elections on the outside and should have a logo that reads, “Official Election Mail”)
* Seal the Return Envelope.
* You may return the ballot in any of the following ways:

Mail Time Considerations When Returning an Absentee Ballot

When mailing your completed ballot, the USPS recommends that voters allow enough time for ballots to be returned to the Board, which is generally seven days ahead of the election. New York State requires your ballot to be both postmarked by November 8, 2022 and received by our Board by November 15, 2022. Voters who mail in their ballots on Election Day must be aware of the posted collection times on collection boxes and at the Postal Service’s retail facilities, and that ballots entered after the last posted collection time will not be postmarked until the following business day.

When is it due?

You must apply online, email or fax a completed application or letter request for the 2022 General Election Absentee ballot no later than October 24, 2022. You may apply in-person up to November 7, the day before the election. You may file an application at any time before the deadlines, but ballots will be mailed out beginning on or about September 23, 2022. (PLEASE BE AWARE THAT DESPITE THE ABOVE DEADLINES THE POST OFFICE HAS ADVISED THAT THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE TIMELY DELIVERY OF BALLOTS APPLIED FOR LESS THAN 15 DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION.)

 Absentee Deadlines for Nov 8, 2022 General Election:

Polling Locations

Look up your election district and polling site location online by clicking the Link below.
Polling Place Lookup/Sample Ballots