How to register to vote in New York City, and the deadline that matters

• Who can register US citizens, 18 or older; 16 and 17 year olds can pre-register
• 2026 general election deadline October 24, 2026 (10 days before Nov. 3)
• Register online e-register.vote.nyc (NYC) or MyDMV (statewide)
• Party enrollment deadline February 14, to vote in that year's primary

Who can register

New York's rules are the same everywhere in the state, and the NYC Board of Elections' own online portal and the state's ny.gov portal state them identically: you must be a US citizen, at least 18 years old (16 and 17 year olds can pre-register, though they cannot vote until they turn 18), a resident of the county, city or village where you are registering for at least 30 days before the election, not currently in prison for a felony conviction, not found mentally incompetent by a court, and not claiming the right to vote anywhere else.

Three ways to register

Online is the fastest option, and there are two separate portals depending on where you live. New York City residents can use the Board of Elections' own e-register.vote.nyc, which needs no DMV account. Anyone with a New York State driver's license, permit or non-driver ID can instead use the state DMV's MyDMV portal, which also registers you automatically as part of many DMV transactions, such as applying for or renewing a license, permit or non-driver ID, or changing your name or address, unless you opt out. By mail, download and sign a paper application (the Board will not accept a digital or Adobe-generated signature) and send it to the Board of Elections at 32 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004-1609, or to your county board if you live outside the city. In person, you can register at a Board of Elections office or at a New York State agency-based registration center.

The deadline, and 2026's actual dates

State law sets the cutoff at 10 days before the election you want to vote in, for both an in-person registration and a mailed application that must be received by then. The NYC Board of Elections has posted the exact 2026 dates: April 18 for the April 28 special election in Manhattan's City Council District 3, June 13 for the June 23 primary, and October 24 for the November 3 general election.

Who actually loses the right to vote

The bar in New York is narrower than many people assume. The eligibility language on the NYC portal, the DMV's registration page and the state's ny.gov portal all disqualify only someone "in prison for a felony conviction." None of them mention parole or probation, and people on parole or probation are not barred from registering or voting in New York.

After you apply

Processing takes a few weeks. The DMV's page asks applicants to allow up to 6 weeks before contacting their county or city board, and NYC's Board of Elections says to call if you have not received a registration card within 4 to 6 weeks. Once registered, New York treats it as permanent unless you move outside the city or county where you registered, go two consecutive federal elections without voting or confirming your address, are convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison for it, or are adjudged mentally incompetent by a court. If you move, notify the Board of Elections within 15 days; that is a state law requirement, not a suggestion.