Absentee Ballots
Download an absentee ballot application form from this site:
https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingAbsentee.html
You may also request an Absentee Ballot by sending a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must be received by your county board 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
Verification
The Rensselaer county Board of Elections scans each ballot envelope which has your information in its barcode. Please call the BOE at 518-270-2990 to verify receipt of your ballot and to ask any questions you may have about the election process.
Counting
All absentee ballots are counted. New York State Election Law currently requires the count to begin 7 days after election day. This was enacted to allow for voters in the military to have enough time for their ballots to reach the Board of Elections and be included in the count. All mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day and received at the Board of Elections by the 7 day deadline.