Move the Vote
A campaign of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Upstate New York Chapter to move people with MS to collectively work towards advocating for change, to vote in all elections, to encourage friends and family to register and to vote, and to educate themselves and the public about important issues impacting people with disabilities.
Those who don’t vote silence themselves.
People with MS cannot afford to be silent.
Fact: Only 40% or 1/3 of the voting-aged population with disabilities in New York State actually voted in 2000.
Fact: People with disabilities, including MS, are 20% less likely than those without disabilities to vote, and 10% less likely to be registered to vote.
Fact: If people with disabilities throughout the United States voted at the same rate as those without disabilities, there would have been 4.6 million additional voters in 1998, increasing the overall turnout by 2.5%.
Pledge your Support.
Make a Difference.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society Upstate New York Chapter challenges you to elect to use your right to vote- to exercise both a freedom and a responsibility.
Voter Requirements |
You can vote in NYS if you:
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Are a citizen
Are a citizen
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Will be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you register
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Have lived at your present address at least 30 days before an election
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Are not in jail or in parole for a felony conviction
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Do not claim the right to vote elsewhere
Voter Registration |
You can register to vote in a number of different ways:
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Contact your local county Board of Elections and register in-person. If you do not know how to contact your Board of Elections, you can call the NYS Board of Elections at (518) 474-6221 or access their website at www.elections.state.ny.us.
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You can call the NYS Board of Elections 1.800.FOR.VOTE hotline to request a voter application.
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Download a PDF version of the NYS Voter Registration form from www.elections.state.ny.us and mail your completed application to your local Board of Elections office.
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Obtain a voter registration form from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or from a NYS Agency-Based Voter Registration Site- government agencies such as the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Department of Social Services, Division of Veterans’ Affairs, Office for the Aging, Office of Mental Health, and Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).
NOTE: Your voter registration form must be received by your county Board of Elections office no later than 25 days before the election in which you want to vote.
How to Vote |
Polling Sites…where you vote is based on where you live. After you register to vote, you will receive a card in the mail that informs you of the location of the polling site to which you are assigned.
Polling sites and voting machines in every voting district in every county in NYS should be accessible, according to The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)- a Federal law that ensures all voters, including those with disabilities, the opportunity to vote privately and independently. Although not all polling sites are accessible, currently, there is at least one accessible voting machine in every county in NYS.
People with disabilities deserve to fully participate in the voting process, and should not avoid casting their vote due to an inaccessible polling place or voting machine. For this reason, once you are registered to vote, if you wish to vote using an accessible voting machine, or, if your assigned polling site won’t work for you, contact your local Board of Elections office to discuss an alternative place.
Transportation…If you do not have access to reliable transportation on Election Day, your local political party office might have volunteer drivers available to help! Call your local Board of Elections office, in advance, to inquire about this option.
Absentee Ballots…are an option if you absolutely cannot make it to the polls. You may vote by absentee ballot when you are:
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Unavoidably absent from your country on Election Day
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Unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability
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A patient in a Veteran’s Administration Hospital or in a nursing home
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Detained in jail awaiting grand jury or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony
If you do need to vote by absentee ballot, contact the NYS Board of Elections (www.elections.state.ny.us) or your local County Board of Elections to request an application, and to check for deadlines for mailing and receipt of absentee ballots.
Additional Resources |
State Board of Elections, 1.800.367.8683, www.elections.state.ny.us
League of Women Voters Education Fund, http://www.vote411.org
Election Protection Coalition:
National Voter Assistance Hotline: 1.866.OUR.VOTE/1.866.687.8683
Poll Location website: http://www.mypollingplace.com
Be a Catalyst for Change.
Join the Movement.
Take Action.
We challenge you to complete the
Move the Vote 2008 Voter Pledge Form
Questions? Call 1.800.FIGHTMS/1.800.344.4867.
Project HAVA (Help America Vote Act of 2002)
New Yorkers with Disabilities Getting Equal Voting Access (NYDGEVA)