New Yorkers can now request absentee ballots online. The new online portal streamlines the process for voting by absentee ballot in the November general election.
And it also clarifies several important issues, including one that’s especially vexing for Island voters.
Voting by absentee ballot is a two-step process. First, you have to request a ballot, providing a reason why you cannot be present to vote in person. Then you get a ballot in the mail, fill it out, sign it and return it by the deadline. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo previously issued an executive order saying concern about catching COVID-19 was a valid reason to request an absentee ballot.
On the paper form, there is a checkbox for “temporary illness or physical disability”. But there is no indication that concern about the pandemic qualifies. The online ballot makes that plain.
The paper ballot request form enables voters to provide a mailing address that’s different from their place of residence. That’s essential here where everyone has their mail delivered to a PO Box. But voters use the same form for both primary and general election voting. You have to be sure to place the information in the correct section. Also, the paper form states people shouldn’t use it if they are NOT registered, but nothing can stop them from doing so. Opportunities for error abound.
Request absentee ballots online to reduce risk of error
The online absentee ballot request process is solely for the general election. You cannot enter the online portal unless you’re registered. That reduces the risk of error. You enter your county of residence, name, date of birth, and residential ZIP code. (NOTE: on Shelter Island, this may be 11964 even if you get mail at 11965)
If you’re registered, the next screen shows the street address that the ballot will be sent to, unless you direct it otherwise.
In our case, our voter registration is linked to a street address with a 11964 ZIP. There’s a clearly marked option for sending the ballot to another address — in our case a 11965 PO Box. Once you fill in the correct information you get a confirmation that includes both the residential and the mailing address.
Of course, this is a new system, and given the shape that we’re in today, anything could happen! But at least the state has made an effort to streamline the process. And, you can still fill out a paper ballot request and mail to your county Board of Elections.
The second step comes when the ballot itself arrives in the mail. You can read all about that in this post about voting reforms.
