Absentee Voting

Accessible, Military, Federal Overseas 

New Absentee Ballot Procedure

Due to a recent change in law, New York State voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have already been issued an absentee ballot for that election. Voters who have already been issued an absentee ballot can still vote in person using an affidavit ballot. The affidavit ballot will be kept separate until the election is completed. Election officials will verify whether the voter’s absentee ballot has been received. If the voter’s absentee ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be counted.

If a voter requests a second absentee ballot, any previously issued absentee ballot that is returned by the voter will be set aside unopened to provide the voter a chance to return the second ballot, unless the first ballot has already been opened. If both ballots are received before the return deadline, the ballot with the later postmark date is accepted and any other ballots that have been received are rejected, unless the first ballot has already been opened. If a voter submits more than one timely absentee ballot and cast an affidavit ballot, the last received ballot, either submitted in person during the election or by mail within the absentee return deadline, will be canvassed.

Eligible reasons to request an Absentee Ballot

• Absent from St. Lawrence County on election day, or 
• Unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability, or 
• Unable to appear at the polls due to duties related to primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled
• A patient in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital, or 
• Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

Qualifications to receive a Permanently Disabled Absentee Ballot:

• Permanent Illness
• Physical Disability 
• These voters will be put on a permanent list and receive a ballot for each election in which they are eligible to vote.

Ways to apply for an Absentee Ballot 

• You may apply using the online Absentee Ballot Application portal: https://ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/absentee

If you do not wish to use the online absentee portal or do not have access to a printer you may obtain an application in one of the following ways.

• Regular Absentee Ballot Application
• Applying in person at our office (Board of Elections), 80 State Highway 310, Canton, NY  13617)
• You may pick up applications at a Post Office, Town Office, Village Office, or Library. 
• Calling our office to have us mail you an application (315) 379-2202
• E-mailing our office to have us mail you an application Contact Board of Elections | St. Lawrence County (stlawco.gov)
• Writing our office to have us mail you an application (Board of Elections, 80 State Highway 310, Canton, NY  13617)

Absentee Applications may be delivered in person, Mailed, Emailed, or Faxed 315-386-2737 to our office. 

How do I return my Absentee Ballot?

1. Put your marked ballot in ballot oath envelope.
2. Sign, date and seal ballot oath envelope.
3. Place ballot oath envelope in return envelope and seal.
4. If mailing put postage on return envelope. 

• If mailed must be mailed back at least 15 days prior to Election Day, (ask for a manual postmark at the Post Office during the last week or two).
• Personally deliver it to our office, on the 2nd floor of 80 State Highway 310 in Canton, on weekdays between 8am and 4pm by Election Day.
• Personally deliver it to an Early Voting location during Early Voting. 
• Personally deliver to your local pollsite on Election Day, between 6am and 9pm (see this document)

Visually impaired absentee options.

This options may be used by someone who is visually impaired or otherwise disabled, should such a disability prevent a person from being able to independently cast a paper absentee ballot:

• If you are visually impaired and require a ballot with accessible features you may apply using the online Accessible Absentee Ballot Application portal: https://ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/accessible

• If you are visually impaired you may also use the mail in the Accessible Electronic Ballot Application: Accessible Electronic Ballot Application 

Voters using the accessible absentee ballot system in need of printing services in order to print their ballot can access such services at certain public printing resources, including but not limited to, libraries, print stores, shipping stores, and office supply stores.  Voters should contact their local printing resources for details on the printing services offered.   Voters using the accessible absentee ballot system can also print their absentee ballots at the County Board offices. 

In-person voting using an accessible Ballot Marking Device (“BMD”) during early voting or on Election Day is still available to voters with a disability who do not want to vote by absentee ballot using the accessible absentee ballot system.

Military Absentee Ballot Application

Qualifications to Vote by Military Absentee Ballot 

• Actively in the Military, eligible spouse, or dependent
• Activated National Guard member on State orders 
• To learn the present status of one of these applications or ballots, please click: https://nysballot.elections.ny.gov/DownloadBallot/SearchVoter
• To see how the downloaded envelope set works for mailing your ballot back in origami fashion, see:  https://www.youtube.com/
• Additional information can be found by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Pro

       Military or Federal Absentee Ballot Application

Overseas voter Absentee Ballot Application

Qualifications to Vote by Special Federal Ballot:

• For United States citizens living abroad whose last U.S. address was in St. Lawrence County
• Applicants may only vote for Federal Offices, unless their application indicates an intent to return
• For United States citizens who have never lived in the U.S.
• To learn the present status of one of these applications or ballots, please click: https://nysballot.elections.ny.gov/DownloadBallot/SearchVoter
• To see how the downloaded envelope set works for mailing your ballot back in origami fashion, see:  https://www.youtube.com/
• Additional information can be found by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Pro

          Special Federal Absentee Ballot Application

Federal Write-In Absentee

• For use by Military voters, wherever they are posted
• For use by Special Federal voters living outside the United States
• If you do not receive your military or federal absentee ballot in enough time to meet New York State's deadlines, use this ballot as a backup. If you send in this ballot and then receive your official ballot later, you should fill out and send in that official ballot as well. Your election office will count only one ballot.
• New York State requires you to register and request an absentee ballot by completing a Federal Post Card Application form before filling out and submitting this backup form. This FPCA form is available above as well as by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website
• If you already registered and requested an absentee ballot, send in the Voter Information page and the Official Backup Ballot.
• Not for use by Regular Absentee Voters or Permanent Absentee Voters

         Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot Application 

Absentee Cures

There are certain errors or problems that can occur when a voter completes an absentee ballot envelope. Many of these errors or problems are curable by means of filing a cure statement with your board of elections. If your ballot envelope has a curable defect, you will receive a notice from the board of elections. The cure process is described here ( pdf 105KB).