Making Democracy Work
Who is on the ballot in the next election? How to register to vote? ...and more
Find out how to:
If any candidate is not providing information, ask why not!
Primary Election, September 13, 2012 - polls open 12 noon to 9 PM
Registration by mail: Forms are available from your county Board of Elections, town and city halls, post office, and various state agency offices. Registration in person: You may register at your Board of Elections.
Broome County Board of Elections
Tioga County Board of Elections
To find NYS State election information
Registration, Change and Absentee Voting Deadlines: The current year election calendar lists deadlines for applications.
General Election, November 6, 2012 - polls open 6 AM to 9 PM
Registration by mail: Forms are available from your county Board of Elections, town and city halls, post office, and various state agency offices. Registration in person: You may register at your Board of Elections. Change of Address: Must be received by your Board of Elections.
Registration, Change and Absentee Voting Deadlines: The current year election calendar lists deadlines for applications.
Absentee Ballots
Registration by mail: Forms are available from your county Board of Elections, town and city halls, post office, and various state agency offices. Registration in person: You may register at your Board of Elections. Change of Address: Must be received by your Board of Elections.
Registration, Change and Absentee Voting Deadlines: The current year election calendar lists deadlines for applications.
For the detailed official political calendar, including information on military absentee ballots, click on election calendar
To Vote You Must:
Be a United States Citizen;
Be 18 years old by the date of the election in which you want to vote.
Live at your present address for at least 30 days before that election; and BE REGISTERED TO VOTE.
HOW TO REGISTER: In person at your county board of elections or at any New York State agency-based voter registration center or by mail.
Your registration is permanent unless you have moved. Name, address or party changes can be made by submitting a new registration application to your county board of elections. (Change of party enrollment goes into effect after the following general election.)
Registration and Absentee Voting Deadlines: The current year election calendar lists deadlines for applications.
Registration by Mail: Forms are available from the web site of the New York State Board of Elections (http://www.elections.ny.gov/), your county board of elections, town and city halls, post office, political parties, various state offices, and the League of Women Voters. You may obtain a Registration form by clicking here...Registration Form ( You will need an Adobe Reader to download a form). Or download a form and information from the NYS site.
Registration in Person: You may register at your local board of elections or at any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year.
What if You Move? Notices of change of address from registered voters received by your county board of elections must be processed and entered in the records for the general election. Under the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act, if you move within your county and have not had the opportunity to notify the board of elections, you can go to the polling place in your new location and vote by affidavit ballot. This ballot will be sent to the board of elections which verifies the new address. Once verified, the vote will be counted and the change of address noted.
Not Sure if You Are Registered? Call your county board of elections - Broome (607)778-2172 or Tioga at (607) 687-8261.
Don't Know Where to Vote? Most boards of elections in New York State send a postcard noting that you are registered and telling you the location of your polling place. If you do not receive this postcard, call your county board of elections - Broome (607)778-2172 or Tioga (607) 687-8261 - to verify your registration and the location of your polling place.
Not Going To Be Home on Election Day? Can't Get to the Polls? You Need an ABSENTEE BALLOT.
Registration and Absentee Voting Deadlines: The current year election calendar lists deadlines for applications.
If you are a registered voter but will be away from your county on Election Day or will be unable to go to your polling place because of illness or disability, you can request an absentee ballot from your county board of elections or download one from the New York State Board of Elections Web site. You may download an Absentee Ballot by clicking here.... ---> Absentee Ballot
Upon completion, applications must be mailed or delivered to your county board of elections. Once it has received your application, your county board of elections will mail or give the ballot to you.
Military voters: Your county board of elections must receive the absentee ballot application from military persons who have not previously registered.
At the Polling Place: A sample ballot is posted. If you do not know how to use the voting machine, ask one of the election inspectors for assistance. If your name does not appear in the polling book and you believe you are eligible to vote in the district, you may vote by affidavit ballot. After validation by your county board of elections, your paper ballot will be counted.
In even-numbered non-presidential years (2002, 2006, etc.) New York State citizens elect:
Ballots are cast for local town, city, and village officials in either even- or odd-numbered years as prescribed by their charters. Some local elections are also held in March.
For additional information, contact your local Board of Elections:
Broome County Board of Elections County Office Building, Second Floor PO Box 1766, Binghamton, NY 13902 607-778-2172
Tioga County Board of Elections 56 Main Street Owego, NY 13827 607-687-8261
For a Voter Registration Form........................click here---> Registration
For an Absentee Ballot Form...........................click here---> Absentee
For a Military Absentee Ballot Form...............click here---> Military Absentee
(this will require an Acrobat Reader, if you do not have one, obtain it for no cost at http://www.adobe.com)
To find Broome County election information including your polling place, list of officials, list of officials with terms expiring, and election results
........... click on Broome County Board of Elections
To find Tioga County election information including your polling place, list of County officials, and election results
............click on Tioga County Board of Elections
To find NYS State election information
............click on NYS
Board of Elections
1. Don't panic if you registered to vote but your name is not on the list. Get help from a poll worker to make sure your vote is counted. You may be directed to another polling place or given a provisional ballot.
2. You may need to show I.D. To be safe, bring your driver's license, or a paycheck, utility bill, or government document that includes your name and address.
3. Look at the signs at the polling place for directions on how to use the voting machines, a list of your voting rights, and instructions for filing a complaint if your rights have been violated.
4. Poll workers are there to help you. They'll show you how to work the machines and give you a provisional ballot if you need one. If you're at the wrong polling place, they should tell you how to get to the right one.
5. You probably won't have to wait too long. But even if the line is long, don't leave without voting. Your vote counts!
How do I use the voting machine?
1. You will be given a blank paper ballot and be directed to a privacy booth. Ask a poll worker to show you how to mark the ballot if it is unfamiliar by filling in small circles next to the candidates and issues. You will then feed it through the reading machine. YOUR BALLOT IS SECRET. Only you will know how you voted.
Current Representatives
Open our guides to current officials in Broome or Tioga . These PDF files will open in a new window.
As a non-partisan grassroots political organization, the League of Women voters does not support parties or candidates, but does encourage informed and active participation of all citizens.
Local Candidates
Most candidates get on the ballot by filing a petition containing a specified number of signatures of members of their political party as determined by the New York State Election Law. Once their petitions have been certified, the names are certified by the local Board of Elections.
For candidates on the Broome County ballot, click on Broome County Board of Elections and follow the link to the candidate listing PDF.
For candidates on the Tioga County ballot, click on Tioga County Board of Elections and follow the link to the candidate listing PDF.
State and National Candidates
State wide candidate data is available from the Board of Elections NYS at http://www.elections.ny.gov. Search the page for "state ballot" to see the latest certified candidates for an upcoming election.
The League of Women Voters national website has an excellent state and national database of elected officials located here. This resource may also be located by going to the national LWV website http://www.lwv.org and selecting "Find Your Representative" under the "Take Action" tab.