NEW YORK STATE
SECOND HOMEOWNERS:
New York State law is clear. Citizens with second homes have the right to choose where they want to vote. Residents do not have to vote where they maintain their primary residence.
( See The New York Times: "Weekenders
Win a Round")
Second homeowners have a major stake in the rural communities where they maintain a home, but most have no say in how their tax dollars are being spent or in the decisions that will affect the future of the community for years to come.
NEW YORK STATE ELECTION LAW: The term ‘‘residence’’ shall be deemed to mean that place where a person maintains a fixed, permanent and principal home and to which he, wherever temporarily located, always intends to return. For more information please visit NYS Board of Elections "Election Law" . |
In 1983 the New York State Court of Appeals affirmed a woman’s right to vote in Huntington, Long Island even though she lived elsewhere five days a week. |
In 2008 the State Supreme Court ordered the Delaware County Board of Elections to reinstate eight weekend homeowners who had been stricken from the voting rolls. In his decision Judge Kevin M. Dowd said “The bottom line is… election officials are to establish that the prospective voters address is a real one and not a sham, and then to look at the expressed wishes of the voter.” |
 If you vote by absentee ballot, you have to apply for an absentee ballot every year.Download an absentee ballot application here or pick one up at your county Board of Elections. Do this today! October 29th is the last day to postmark application or letter of application for ballot. Sullivan County residents, will you be out of town on Election Day?You can vote by absentee ballot, in person, at the Sullivan County Board of Elections. Vote any weekday during regular business hours, or during extended voting hours on Wednesday and Saturday. The Board of Elections is located on the ground floor of the Sullivan County Government Center, 100 North Street, Monticello. (That’s the large brick building across the parking lot from the bus station.
Sorry. October 11th, was the deadline for registering to vote in this year's election. |
VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS
- Forms are available at most post offices.
- You can download a PDF version of the New York State Voter Registration Form, print it out and submit it by mail. The appropriate address can be found on the back of the form.) Click Here
- Or you can complete the registration form online. Click Here
HOW TO FILL IN THE VOTER REGISTRATION CARD:
- Enter your second home address on line 8 and your preferred mailing address on line 9.
- If you want to receive an absentee ballot, make sure you check the box at the bottom of the form.
- If at any time you have occupied your second home for a total 30 days, you are legally entitled to sign the Affidavit (Line 16). (The 30 days do not have to have been consecutive.)
ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS
Voters who wish to vote by absentee ballot must apply for an absentee ballot each year.
To download an application, click here.
BOARD OF ELECTIONS ADDRESSES
A complete listing of county Board of Elections offices can be found here.
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NYS SECOND HOME VOTING:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- If I register to vote from my second home, can I also vote where I maintain my primary residence?
No. You can chose where you want to vote, but you can only vote in one location. - If I register to vote in Sullivan County, will it affect my STAR exemption?
STAR exemptions are granted for primary residence only, but you can register and vote from a weekend or vacation home that is not your primary residence, so a change in voter registration does not affect eligibility for a STAR exemption. - If I register to vote from my second home, can my landlord use that as evidence that my country home is actually my primary residence?
Because New York State permits voters to register at their second homes, voter registration is not proof of primary residence. That said, tenants in rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartments or lofts need to consider their particular circumstances when deciding where to register. - If I register to vote from my second home, where will I be called for jury duty?
New York State relies on information from five state agencies to generate lists of potential jurors: the DMV, the Department of Labor, the Department of Social Services, the Board of Elections and the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. That means New Yorkers with two homes could conceivably be called for jury duty in either location based on information provided by different state agencies. That does not mean second homeowners are liable to serve more often, than others because jury duty in one jurisdiction is credited as service by other jurisdictions.
(Citizens called for jury duty in Sullivan County may call in the day before they are scheduled to appear to see if they are needed. After five days of “telephone service” potential jurors who are not seated are excused and do not have to serve for another six years.)
MORE ABOUT JURY DUTY
- Sullivan County recognizes jury service in other NYS jurisdictions as equivalent to service in the county. If a dual resident would prefer to serve in a location other than Sullivan County they can present a drivers license with another NYS address and asked to be removed from the county jury pool.
- Sullivan County does not recognize jury service in other states, but it will remove dual residents from its jury pool if they are presented with an out-of-state drivers license.
- Anyone over the age of 75 will be granted an automatic exemption from jury duty if
they request it.
Learn more about dual resident voting at CountryVote.org. |