Pre-18 voter registration in
New York
In New York 143,723
18-year-olds are not yet registered.
New Yorkers can 
pre-register before turning 18.
To register to vote in New York, you must be: 16 years old. That means all eligible seniors, juniors and most sophomores in your high school can register to vote today and vote at 18.
Learn more about the voter registration gap in New York.
High school students can help one another get ready to vote. 
Next Steps!
How to Register to Vote in New York
Upcoming Elections:
- Jun 23rd, 2026 - New York Primary Election (Register by Jun 13th, 2026)
- Nov 3rd, 2026 - New York General Election (Register by Oct 24th, 2026)
Useful Links:
- Registration Form - Download the paper registration form for New York.
- Registration Status - Check if you are already registered, your polling place, and more from your state’s voter registration website.
- Fair Elections Center - Learn about conducting a registration drive in New York.
- Vote 411 - A nonpartisan resource to help you register, preview your ballot, and find key election information from the League of Women Voters.
- VoteRiders - Find out what forms of ID you can use to register and vote, and get help getting a valid form of ID.
Full Registration Details
By Mail: ID Requirements
When submitting your application by mail in New York, you are required to provide your valid New York State driver's license, permit, or ID number. If you do not have a New York State-issued ID, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have not been issued any of these numbers, indicate NONE.
By Mail: Eligibility Requirements
To register in New York you must:
be a United States citizen
be a resident of the state of New York and the county, city, or village in which you register for at least 30 days before the election in which you vote
be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18)
not be in prison for a felony conviction
not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court
not claim the right to vote elsewhere
By Mail: New Voter Instructions
If you are registering to vote for the first time in your jurisdiction and are mailing your registration application, federal law requires you to show proof of identification the first time you vote. Proof of identification includes:
A current and valid photo identification OR
A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and address.
More information here.
Online Instructions
To register online in New York, you need a NY.Gov ID. If you have previously used NY.Gov with another agency, you may use the same login to access the Online Voter Registration portal. If you have not used NY.Gov, you will need to create an account.
You will be asked to provide your New York State-issued ID number. If you don’t have a New York State-issued ID, you can still submit a voter registration application online, but you will have to show ID the first time you vote. You can also submit a voter registration application by mail or in person.
More information here.
New York High School Educators!!!
Support your students’ voter registration effort with our free toolkit.
New York State Requirements for High School Voter Registration
School boards and governing bodies of private schools are required to adopt policies and procedures for providing students with access to voter registration and preregistration forms, assistance with completing forms, and information on the requirements to register and preregister to vote.
About this information
This page presents a curated compilation of voting and election information, specifically geared toward high school students, their families, and educators.
Information about deadlines and voting laws is retrieved via the Democracy Works Elections API and was last retrieved on Mar 30th, 2026; the API compiles election guidance from official government sources and other vetted data providers, and details may change over time. Information concerning requirements for high schools is based on The Civics Center’s analysis of State Requirements for High School Voter Registration and was last updated on Mar 27th, 2026.
See More
Information about youth turning 18 each year is from the U.S. Census, and information on the number of 18-year-olds who have not yet registered is based on applying TCC’s analysis of Census data and state voter files. We also provide links to trusted resources, including VoteRiders (for voter ID information) and Fair Elections Center (for information about laws governing voter registration drives).
These pages are offered for guidance only and are not intended as legal advice. Please consult state election officials or an attorney if you have questions about any particular situation. We hope you find this useful. To cite our resources and original research, please provide links and/or cite The Civics Center.
© 2026 The Civics Center
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