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Deadline to register to vote is today

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo reminds New York state residents that today is the deadline to register to be able to vote in next month’s political primaries.

Applications must be postmarked no later than today and received by a board of elections no later than Aug. 23 for people to be eligible to vote in the primary. New Yorkers can easily register to vote, or change their enrollment information, by using the state’s online voter registration application service on the state Department of Motor Vehicles website.

“The more New Yorkers participate in the voting process, the stronger and more vibrant our democracy is,” Cuomo said. “I urge all eligible voters to make use of this resource so when the time comes, they can let their voice be heard at the polls.”

Customers must enter information from their New York driver license, permit, or non-driver ID, their date of birth, current zip code, last four digits of their social security number and their email address. The information provided is validated to ensure accuracy and security.

Previously, New Yorkers needed to sign up to create a MyDMV account to register to vote online. Last year, a new site was created that allows applicants to simply visit the voter registration application page on the DMV website.

Terri Egan, DMV deputy executive commissioner, said, “It is very convenient and only takes a few minutes to complete. We at DMV are proud to offer this service to help people exercise their voting rights. You can register on a computer, tablet or smartphone.”

As of July 2017, since Cuomo launched the MyDMV automated online system in 2012, 927,856 people have registered using DMV’s online voter registration applications, including 432,148 first-time voters.

DMV does not approve or deny voter registration applications. Upon completion, DMV sends the voter registration applications to the county board of elections for review and action. Once processed, the county will notify the applicants either that they are registered to vote or that additional information is needed to complete the application. Additionally, New Yorkers can use the New York State Board of Elections website to check their voter registration status.

To be eligible to vote in New York, you need to:

≤ Be a United States citizen;

≤ Be 18 years old by Dec. 31 of the year in which you file the form (you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote);

≤ Live at your present address at least 30 days before an election;

≤ Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction;

≤ Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court; and

≤ Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

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