Voting
You lose your right to vote while you are in prison for a felony conviction. If you are convicted of a felony and you are released from prison, you can vote. If you are convicted of a felony and your sentence is suspended, you can vote. Visit the New York State Board of Elections website to register, or re-register to vote.
Certificate of Relief from Disabilities.
All other criminal convictions do not take away your right to vote. So, misdemeanor and violation convictions do not prevent you from voting even if you are serving time in jail.
Before being released from prison, you will be notified verbally and in writing by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”) that your voting rights will be returned once you are released. You will also receive a form of application for voter registration and declination form, help filling out the form, and written information on voting. You can submit your forms to the state or county board where you live or have the DOCCS submit it for you.
For more information about voter registration, please visit https://www.ny.gov/services/register-vote.
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