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QUICK LINKS

   QUALIFICATIONS TO REGISTER TO VOTE

To qualify to vote, you must:

be a U.S. citizen;

be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you file the Voter Registration Form
      (note: 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 jail or on parole for a felony conviction; and

not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

   WHO NEEDS TO RE-REGISTER TO VOTE

You will need to re-register to vote if you have:

changed your address;

changed your name;

changed your party affiliation;

NOT voted in the last two (2) presidential elections.

   UPCOMING ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES

Primary Election - Tuesday, September 9, 2008: To vote in the primary election, 2007, voter registration forms must be postmarked on or before September 11, 2007 or submitted in person at the Board of Elections no later than September 17, 2007.

General Election - Tuesday, November 4, 2008: To vote in the general election, voter registration forms must be postmarked on or before October 12, 2007 and received by the Board of Elections on or before October 17, 2007

   QUALIFICATION TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT

unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day;

unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability;

a patient in a Veterans' Administration Hospital ; and

detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

   HOW TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT

Applications for Absentee Ballots are available at the West Seneca Town Clerk's Office or the Erie County Board of Elections, 134 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202.

You may also download a New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form at www.elections.state.ny.us.

Upon completion, applications must be mailed to the Erie County Board of Elections no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election. The mailing address the Board of Elections is:

Erie County Board of Elections
134 West Eagle Street
Buffalo, NY 14202

You may also request an Absentee Ballot by sending a letter to the Erie County Board of Elections. The letter must be received by the Board of Elections no earlier than 30 days and no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information:

the address where you are registered

an address where the ballot is to be sent

the reason for the request, and

the signature of the voter

An application form will be mailed with your ballot. The application form must be completed and returned with your ballot.

If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to receive an Absentee Ballot for each subsequent election without further application. Simply file an application with the Erie County Board of Elections containing a statement which describes the particulars of your illness or disability.

   MILITARY VOTING

Persons serving in the military may vote from their designated 'home of record', regardless of where they may be stationed or for how long. If that home of record is in New York, you may register and vote in local, state and federal elections by completing an application and sending it to the Board of Elections in your 'home of record' county. Your application will register you and also serve as your absentee ballot application, and will be valid for 2 federal elections.

Applications are available from your Voting Assistance Officer on base, or you can visit www.elections.state.ny.us or www.fvap.gov for forms and information. Always be sure to share any change of address information with the Erie County Board of Elections.

   FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I register to vote?

You may register at the Erie County Board of Elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act on any business day throughout the year. Voter Registration Forms are available at the West Seneca Town Clerk's Office. Alternatively, you can download a Voter Registration form from the New York State Board of Elections website at www.elections.state.ny.us and mail it to the Erie County Board of Elections.

How do I change my name and address?

Complete the Voter Registration Form with the new information, and mail it to the Erie County Board of Elections (do not bring to Town Hall). You can obtain a Voter Registration Form from the Town Clerk's Office or the Erie County Board of Elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act on any business day throughout the year or from the New York State Board of Elections website at www.elections.state.ny.us.

How do I change my enrollment?

If you wish to change your enrollment from one party to another or from not-enrolled to a party, send a Voter Registration Form with your new choice to the Erie County Board of Elections. The board will notify you when the change takes place, by Law, after the next general election. The Voter Registration Form is available at the Town Clerk's Office or the Erie County Board of Elections.

Where do I go to vote?

To obtain your polling location, click here for the West Seneca Polling Location guide or contact the Erie County Board of Elections.

What hours are polling places open?

PRIMARY ELECTION - SEPTEMBER 9, 2008

In Erie County polls open at 6 am and close at 9 pm.

GENERAL ELECTION - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008

Polls open at 6am and close at 9pm.

   NEED ADDITIONAL HELP?

Erie County Board of Elections
134 West Eagle Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 858-8891




New York State Board of Elections
40 Steuben Street
Albany , NY 12208-2108
(800) 367-8683
www.elections.state.ny.us





Federal Voter Assistance Program
(800) 438-8683
www.fvap.gov

Voter information was prepared using resources from the Erie County Board of Elections and New York State United Teachers