Absentee ballot deadline extended

Deadline is now Nov. 24 for military/overseas voters ALBANY — The New York State Board of Elections has announced a nine-day extension in the deadline for the acceptance of all absentee ballots from U.S. military personnel and non-military U.S. citizens living overseas for the State of New York for the Nov. 2 general elections. All military and overseas ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 1, and must be received by the appropriate county board of elections by Nov. 24, to be accepted and counted. This represents an additional nine days added to the original deadline of Nov. 15. New York State has also established a new Web page to allow military and overseas voters to immediately obtain their general election ballots by email in addition to the existing fax and mail options. To establish an account, voters should visit www.elections.state.ny.us and click on the link for “Military and Overseas Voters.” New York will also accept Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots (FWAB) cast by persons outside the United States who are qualified to vote in New York. A full online tool is available to complete the FWAB at www.fvap.gov. Federal offices on the general election ballot for Nov. 2 include all U.S. House of Representatives seats in New York and both US Senate seats. Also, FVAP has launched a 24/7 call center (1-800-438-VOTE) for military and overseas voters, voting assistance officers, and election officials to get help with voting. Individuals can also e-mail their questions in to vote@fvap.gov or use the online chat capability at www.fvap.gov to accommodate an easy flow of absentee voting assistance and information. Military and overseas voters may also call 1-518-474-1953 or e-mail questions to INFO@elections.state.ny.us.