ALBANY – Registered voters have several ways to cast their ballots for the general election, which begins as early as Saturday and continues through the traditional Election Day on Nov. 5.

The election includes races for president, vice president, Congress, Senate, State Assembly and judges.

Ways to vote

Voters can vote by:

• Absentee ballot.
• Early voting by mail
• Early voting at polling stations
• Going to the polls on November 5, the traditional election day.

Where to vote

The state Board of Elections has an online portal where a registered voter can look up early voting sites. By clicking on an early voting site, the portal will display the days and times of early voting at each polling place. The portal also provides a voter-assigned polling station for November 5. The state portal is located at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ and can be used to see if a voter is registered.

Early voting

Days and hours for early voting in Nassau County:

• Saturday 9am to 6pm
• Sunday 9am to 6pm
• Monday 7am to 6pm
• Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the provincial election council site is open until 8 p.m.
• Wednesday 10 a.m., 7 p.m., with the Provincial Election Board grounds open again until 8 p.m.
• Thursday October 31, 9am to 6pm
• Friday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m
• Saturday, November 2, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Sunday November 3, 9am to 6pm

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Early voting locations in Nassau County:

A voter in Nassau County may vote at any early voting location, which may not include the voter’s traditional polling place. The early voting sites are available on the county Board of Elections website at https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/566/Board-of-Elections or through the state online portal.

Days and hours for early voting in Suffolk County:

• Saturday 10am to 6pm
• Sunday 10am to 6pm
• Monday 10am to 6pm
• Tuesday 7am to 3pm
• Wednesday 7am to 3pm
• Thursday, October 31, 12 noon to 8 p.m
• Friday, November 1, 12 noon to 8 p.m
• Saturday, November 2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
• Sunday, November 3, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m

Early voting locations in Suffolk County:

A Suffolk County voter can vote at any early location. Early voting sites can be accessed through the state’s online portal.

Ballots by mail

Any registered voter, for any reason, can request a mail-in ballot by:

• Download an Early Mail Voting Application at ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/earlymail.
• Visiting their local election board.
• Designating another person to personally deliver the application to the local board of elections and receive a ballot.

A mail-in ballot request must be received by the local board of elections no later than 10 days before Election Day. New Yorkers can drop off a mail-in ballot in person at the boards of elections no later than November 4.

Absentee Ballots

An absentee ballot can be used when a voter is outside of his/her county or municipality on Election Day.

A New Yorker can request an absentee ballot through the state’s online portal at ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/absentee

An application for an absentee ballot must be received by the local election board no later than 10 days before the election. Applications can be delivered in person to your local board of elections no later than November 4, the day before the election.

An absentee ballot can be cast by:

• Shipping with postmark no later than November 5. The ballot must be received by the local election board no later than November 12.
• The ballot must be delivered to the local election board no later than November 5 at 9 p.m.
• Drop it off at an early election poll site between October 26 and November 3.
• It will be taken to a polling station in the constituency on November 5 at 9 p.m.

Deadline for registering to vote

Applications to register to vote by mail must be received by the local board of elections no later than Saturday, October 26, in order for the applicant to be eligible to vote in the November 5 election.

The deadline for applying for registration in person is also Saturday. Applications may be submitted in person to any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, including the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

How to Register to Vote

To register on the online voter registration portal (my.ny.gov/LoginV4/login.xhtml), potential voters will need a state NY ID. Gov ID account. If the New Yorker had used a NY. Gov ID account for businesses at a government agency, the same login and access can be used to access the portal. Others will need to create an account.

Potential voters can sign a New York State voter registration form and submit it online or by printing it and hand-delivering it or mailing it to the local board of elections by Saturday. The voter registration form is available in English and Spanish at elections.ny.gov/voter-registration-process.

Potential voters can also call the state Board of Elections hotline at 800-FOR-VOTE (800-367-8683).

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He’s been covering Albany since 2001.