Frequently Asked Questions...

Am I eligible to vote if I am homeless? Yes! You can register to vote using youre the address of wherever you reside, be it a shelter or a park bench, so long as you provide an address where you can receive mail. What do I do if my address changes? In order to ensure that your voter registration remains current, it is important to notify your local board of elections about any change of address within 25 days of the address change. The change may be sent on a Registration application. If I cant read or write, can someone help me fill out my voter registration card? Yes, someone may fill out your voter registration form for and with you. The person that helped you must sign the voter registration card along with your signature. If I have work on Election Day and will not have time to vote, can I take off work to vote? Yes. If you do not have sufficient time to vote (meaning that you do not have four consecutive hours to vote either between the opening of the Election polls and before your work shift starts, or between the end of the your work shift and the closing of the Election polls), you may take off up to two hours at the beginning or end of your work shift to vote without any loss of pay. Will I still get paid? If you do not have sufficient time to vote, you are entitled to two hours to vote on Election Day without loss of pay. When during my shift can I go to the Election polls to vote? You may take time off work to vote at either the beginning or at the end of your work shift, or as you and your employer may otherwise agree. When should I let me employer know that I will be taking off time to vote? It is important that you inform your employer you will need to take time off to vote on Election Day no more than 10 days and no less than two days before Election Day. How do I vote? First, sign in with a poll worker. Youll receive a ballot and a privacy cover for your ballot. Youll then go to a booth to mark your ballot in private. Next, youll take your ballot to a scanner and feed it in. The scanner counts your vote and the paper ballot is securely saved in the event of a recount. No one will know how you vote.

Board of Elections in New York City Contact Information:

General Office 32 Broadway, 7th Floor New York, NY 10004 Tel: (212) 487-5300 Borough Offices Manhattan Office 200 Varick Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10014 Tel: (212) 886-2100 Bronx Office 1780 Grand Concourse, 5th Floor Bronx, NY 10457 Tel: (718) 299-9017 Brooklyn Office 345 Adams Street, 4th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tel: (718) 797-8800 Queens Office 126-06 Queens Boulevard Kew Gardens, NY 11415 Tel: (718) 730-6730 Staten Island Office 1 Edgewater Plaza, 4th Floor Staten Island, NY 10305 Tel: (718) 876-0079 For more information: www.nyc.gov or call 311 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Commissioner Seth Diamond 33 Beaver Street New York, NY 10004

Let Your Voice be Heard

In compliance with Local Law 29, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) supports and encourages its clients to vote. This brochure will help you determine whether you are eligible, and will outline the steps you need to take to register and to vote in New York City.

Am I Eligible to Vote?

You are eligible to vote in New York City, if you are: A citizen of the United States; A New York City resident for at least 30 days; At least 18 years old on Election Day; Not serving a jail sentence or on parole for a felony conviction; Not adjudged mentally incompetent by a court; AND Not claiming the right to vote outside of NYC.
Homeless Persons Living in NYC are Eligible to Vote

Register to Vote

Homeless persons living in shelter: Use your shelter address when filling out boxes 7 and 8 of the Voter Registration Form. Homeless persons living on the street: Record your exact sleeping location (for example, a street corner or park bench) when filing out box 7 of the Voter Registration Form; and Record the address of an organization or shelter where you can receive mail when filing out box 8 of the Voter Registration Form You must update your voter registration form every time you move or change your address.

Register to Vote by ABSENTEE BALLOT: Complete Box 14 of the Voter Registration Form. Absentee Ballot applications are available at: The Board of Elections office; or www.elections.state.ny.us. You may also request an absentee ballot by sending a letter to the local Board of Elections. The letter must be received no earlier than 30 days and no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information: Your name; The address where you are registered; An address where the ballot is to be sent; The reason for the request; and Your signature. The absentee ballot must be either personally delivered to your county board of elections no later than Election Day, or, postmarked no later than November 5, 2012, and must reach the Board of Elections no more than seven (7) days after the election. To Register to Vote IN PERSON: Visit your local Board of Elections Office between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during any weekday. The voter registration form must be delivered to the Board of Elections by October 12, 2012, unless youve been honorably discharged from the military or have become a naturalized citizen since October 12, 2012. In this case, you may register in person at the Board of Elections up until October 26, 2012. To Register to Vote BY MAIL: The voter registration form must be postmarked by October 12, 2012, and received by the Board of Elections by October 17, 2012. Send your voter registration form to: Board of Elections 32 Broadway, 7th Floor New York, NY 10004-1609 (212) 487-5300

Vote in Person on November 6, 2012 What Documents do I Need to Register to Vote?

To complete a Voter Registration Form, you will need: Drivers License number, or Non-Driver photo ID issued by the DMV, or The last four digits of your Social Security number. You do NOT need a photo ID to register to vote! If you dont have any of the information listed above: Check I do not have a New York State Drivers License or a Social Security number when filling out Item #12 on the Voter Registration Form; and Bring one or more of the following items or documents with you when you go to vote on Election Day: A current and valid photo ID; or A copy of a current utility bill; or A bank statement; or A government check; or A paycheck; or Other government document that shows your name and address.

Know your Poll Site! Search online at: www.vote.nyc.ny.us Call: 1-866-VOTE NYC Youll receive a postcard from the Board of Elections in August telling you where you should vote on Election Day. You may also email your complete address to vote@boe. nyc.ny.us (place the borough in which you reside in the subject line of the email). First Time Voters who register to vote by mail must provide . proof of identity at the Poll Site.

Vote by Absentee Ballot

In order to be eligible to vote by absentee ballot, you must be: Unavoidably absent from New York City on Election Day because of duties, occupation, business, vacation or studies, or be accompanying a spouse, parent or child engaged in the above; or Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability, or because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled; or A patient or inmate in a Veterans Administration Hospital; or Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony. Having to work on Election Day does not make you eligible to vote by absentee ballot.