Election Day
November 01, 2004

by Catherine Jones, Web Coordinator, OPS
NYC Board of Elections General Office
32 Broadway, 7 Fl
New York, NY 10004-1609
Tel: 1.212.487.5300

Borough Offices

Manhattan
Troy Johnson - Chief Clerk
Timothy Gay - Deputy Chief Clerk
200 Varick St., 10 Fl
New York, NY 10014
Tel: 1.212.886.2100

Bronx
Victor B. Tosi - Deputy Chief Clerk
Naomi Rivera - Deputy Chief Clerk
1780 Grand Concourse, 5 Fl
Bronx, NY 10457
Tel: 1.718.299.9017

Brooklyn
Diane Haslett-Rudiano - Chief Clerk
Mary Rose Sattie - Deputy Chief Clerk
345 Adams Street, 4 Fl
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 1.718.797.8800

Queens
Barbara Conacchio - Chief Clerk
Katherine A. James - Deputy Chief Clerk
126-06 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Tel: 1.718.730.6730

Staten Island
Barbara Kett - Chief Clerk
Maryann Yennella - Deputy Chief Clerk
1 Edgewater Plaza, 4 Fl
Staten Island, NY 10305
Tel: 1.718.876.0079

 

ELECTION DAY
November 2nd

WHERE DO I VOTE?

If you did not receive a yellow postcard in the mail with the address of your polling place

  • call the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE NYC
  • e-mail them at vote@boe.nyc.ny.us with your complete address. You should receive an e-mail back instructing you where to vote.
  • call 1-800-OUR-VOTE if you cannot get through to the Board of Elections
  • call the NYPIRG and Common Cause Voter Help Line: 1-212-822-0282

Polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. You have the right to vote if you are in line or in your polling place when the polls close.

Those who wish to file absentee ballots have two delivery options.

  • By mail: an absentee ballot must be postmarked by November 1 and must reach the Board of Elections no more than seven days after the election.
  • Or in person: absentee ballots can be delivered in person at one of the Board of Elections borough offices by 9:00 p.m. on Election Day.

WILL I NEED TO BRING I.D.?

New Yorkers who registered to vote for the first time via mail after January 1, 2003, will be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license, when they go to the polls.

Those without a driver's license can also offer a copy of one of the following:

  • a valid photo ID
  • a current utility bill
  • a bank statement
  • a government check or other government document that shows the voter's name and address.

Those who don't have any form of identification or refuse to supply one will be allowed to vote on paper ballot, not in the machines, according to the Board of Elections. Those votes will be counted if they are verified to match registration forms.

WHAT ARE MY VOTING RIGHTS?

The New York Voter's Bill of Rights guarantees the right to:

  • Vote: The right to vote includes voting for candidates and questions on the ballot.
  • Have Your Vote Count: Vote on a voting system that is in working condition and that will allow votes to be accurately counted.
  • Secrecy in Voting: Secrecy in voting will be preserved for all elections.
  • Freedom in Voting: Cast your vote, free from coercion or intimidation by poll workers or any other person.
  • Permanent Registration: Once registered to vote, you will continue to remain qualified to vote from an address within your county or city.
  • Accessible Elections: Non-discriminatory equal access to the election system for all voters, including the elderly, disabled, alternative language minorities, military and overseas citizens, as required by federal and state laws.
  • Assistance in Voting: You may ask for help in voting because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.
  • Instructions in Voting: You can view a sample ballot in this polling place prior to voting, and before entering the machine, you may request help in how to operate the machine.
  • Absentee Voting: If you will be out of your county of residence on Election Day, or are unable to go to your polling place due to illness or physical disability, you may cast an absentee ballot.
  • Affidavit Voting: Whenever your name does not appear in the official poll book, you will be offered an affidavit ballot.

WHAT IF I ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS AT THE POLLS?

If a poll worker says you are not on the list, ask an inspector to verify that you are at the correct Election and Assembly District for your address. If you believe that you are eligible to vote, you can ask for a paper ballot. After the election, the Board of Elections will check its records and your vote will be counted if you are deemed eligible to vote and were at the correct polling site.

The Board of Elections claims 99% of polling places are barrier free and are accessible for senior citizens and handicapped voters. If your polling site is inaccessible call the Voter Registration Unit of your local borough office (numbers listed above right).

See the New York Civil Liberties Union voting guide for more info.

If you encounter problems at the polls, call one of the following numbers:

  • U.S. Department of Justice: 1-800-253-3931
  • ACLU Voting Rights Project: 1-877-523-2792
  • New York Civil Liberties Union: 1-212-344-3005
  • New York Public Interest Research Group: 1-212-349-6460
  • Common Cause: 1-212-691-6421
  • For assistance in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Hindi, Khmer and English, call the Asian American Legal Defense Fund at 1-800-966-5946.
  • For assistance in Spanish or English, call the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Sources