Register to Vote

Qualifications

To register to vote in Steuben County, you must:

  • be a United States citizen
  • be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18)
  • resident of this state and the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election
  • not be in prison for a felony conviction
  • not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court
  • not claim the right to vote elsewhere

Although you can register any time during the year, your registration form must be delivered or mailed at least 25 days before the next election for it to be effective for that election.

How to Register

Register In Person -- or -- Register By Mail

  • A Voter Registration form may be obtained in the following ways:
  • Fill out a Voter Registration form using only a pen with blue or black ink.
  • Be sure to sign the form.
  • Mail (Do Not Fax)the Voter Registration form to:


    Steuben County Board of Elections
    3 East Pulteney Square
    Bath, NY 14810

Party Affiliation in New York State

The form contains a section where you can indicate your choice for party affiliation. If you would like to register without designating a party, simply mark the space indicating "I do not wish to enroll in a party."

The following parties are recognized in New York State:

  • Democratic
  • Republican
  • Conservative
  • Working Families

Party Affiliation and the Primary System

In a Primary Election, only voters registered with one of the parties qualified to hold a primary may vote to nominate their party's candidate to run in the general election.

Candidates nominated by the parties for each office then appear on the general election ballot, along with any independent candidates who gain access to the general ballot without running in the party primaries.

Voting in Primary Elections

Because a primary is strictly a party election, only voters registered with one of the parties conducting a primary may participate in that party's election. Voters registered without party affiliation may vote only in General and Special Elections.

To Change Your Party Affiliation

You can change your party by filling out a new voter registration form, selecting the party of your choice, and mailing it to the Board of Elections at 3 E. Pulteney Square, Bath NY 14810. Don’t forget the stamp.

All party changes received will take effect immediate until the February 14th cutoff. All party changes received February 15th through June 30th will be held. On June 30th all party enrollment changes that had been held will be changed. Once your party change is complete you will receive a new card in the mail.

Party changes are held February 15th through June 30th due to Primary Elections being held during this time.

KEEPING YOUR REGISTRATION CURRENT

What the Law Says

Your residence address determines the particular contests in which you are eligible to vote. Because of the role that one's address plays in the electoral system, New York State law requires voters to notify the Board of Elections within 25 days of an address change to preserve their voting rights.

To Make Changes to Your Registration

You must notify the Board of Elections, in writing, to make any change to your registration (change of address or name). You may send us the change on a Registration form.

United States Post Office Change of Address Form

Controls for Keeping a Registration Current

The Board has developed two programs:

  • The Board of Elections compares its file of registered voters to a file received from the United States Postal Service (USPS) of people who have submitted a change of address. For voters that match, the Board of Elections sends a confirmation notice to indeed verify if the voter has moved.
  • Reports received by state/county agencies (Mental Health, Corrections, Health Dept., Motor Vehicles, etc.) as mechanisms for keeping the voter registry current.

New York State Voter's Bill of Rights (PDF)