Elections

What is a Primary Election? A Primary Election always occurs before a General Election. Voters choose between candidates of the same party running for the same office. For example, if two Democratic candidates are running for the office of state governor, then a Primary Election would be held (typically in June) to determine which of the two candidates will represent the Democratic Party on the ballot of General Election (held in November).

What is a General Election? A General Election is the election used to elect government officials into office. This includes federal, state, and local offices. All registered voters may choose any candidate regardless of political party affiliation. The General Election is scheduled in November on the first Tuesday after the first Monday.

Why don’t I have a Primary Election? There are several common reasons that you may not have a Primary Election in your jurisdiction:

• The race is uncontested, meaning a candidate is running unopposed within their party.
• Your political party has no candidates in the race.
• You may have enrolled in your current party too recently to participate (see "About Political Parties").

Political Parties

How do I change my political party? To change your political party enrollment, please submit an updated voter registration with your new preferred party selected.

I changed my party. Why don’t I see my new party on my voter information? If you changed your party between February 14 and July 1, it will not be processed until after July 1. If you have any questions about your party change, please contact the Board of Elections.

I’m a registered “Independent” voter. Why does my party enrollment read as, “Blank/No Party? “Independent” voters are not enrolled in any political party, so they are termed as “Blank/No party”. In other words, “Blank/No Party” is the exact same as “Independent” in New York State.

Registering to Vote

Do I have to register every year? No. However, you will need to fill out a new registration form any time:

• You move (address change)
• You want to change party enrollment
• You change your name
• You previously canceled your registration and want to renew

If I register to vote, will I be called for jury duty? Jurors are drawn from lists of state taxpayers and licensed drivers as well as from voter registration rolls. Chances are, if you pay taxes or drive a car, you will still be called for jury duty.

How do I cancel my voter registration? To remove your registration as a Monroe County voter, please contact our office at 1-585-753-1550. We will mail you an official form that you may sign and return, stating you would like to be removed as a registered voter in Monroe County.

Voting

Do I need my ID to vote? If you are a registered voter, you do not need to bring identification to your polling place to check in. However, you will need a proper form of identification if:

• The Board of Elections does not have your signature on file, or
• If you are a new voter who did not provide identification at the time you registered to vote.

Where do I go to vote? Your polling place depends on whether you are voting on Election Day or during Early Voting.

• One Election Day, there is only ONE location where you may vote in-person. Click to find your Election Day polling place.
• During Early Voting, there are MULTIPLE locations where you may vote in-person. See all available Early Voting polling places.

How do I vote if I speak little or no English? Monroe County’s Language Access Devices (LADs) provide access to live interpreters for translation of more than 350 languages (including ASL). The LADs offer video or audio calls with live interpreters. Election districts having a 5% or greater Hispanic population are furnished with materials and information in both English and Spanish.

What if I am not permitted to vote? If you are not on the poll-list, it may be because:

• Your registration form was not received.
• In the case of a Primary Election, it might be that you aren’t enrolled in a party.

If you believe that you are eligible, your vote may still be cast:

•  Ask for an affidavit ballot, which is a paper ballot. After the election, the Board of Elections will check its records and your vote will be cast if you are eligible to vote. If not, you will receive notice that you are not eligible.
• You may also seek a court order to allow your vote to be cast on a voting machine. 

Other Questions

Why does the Board of Elections logo read as, “You’re Right to Vote”? The slogan, “You’re Right to Vote” is a play on words, intended to communicate two messages at once. The first message affirms your right as a registered voter to participate in the democratic process of voting. The second message affirms you’re right to engage in voting as a civic duty, thereby participating in a government by the people, for the people.

What is readily available for Foil requests? Subject matter list for Foils click here: BOE Subject Matter for FOIL