Absentee Ballots

Application Request

To request an absentee ballot you may apply for one in any of the following ways:

Absentee Ballot Contactless Drop-Off Plan (PDF)

         Ulster County voters may drop off a completed absentee ballot at the following locations without waiting in line with in-person voters. Once you enter the drop-off location, you will be directed to the clearly marked absentee ballot receptacle, generally located at or near our COVID19 sanitation tables, where you may deposit your ballot. Each receptacle used to collect ballots, when not situated within reach of an election inspector, will be secured to the location in use to avoid any potential theft or tampering.  Wearing a mask and adhering to social distancing guidelines while at these locations is required.

  • Ulster County Board of Elections
    • Regular Hours
      • Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
    • Absentee Voting Hours
      • October 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31
  • All Early Voting poll sites
    • Saturday, October 24th, 2020 to Monday November 1st, 2020 (Varying Hours)
  • All available Election Day poll sites
    • Tuesday November 3rd, 2020 from 6am – 9pm

When requesting an absentee by letter or email the letter or email must contain the following information:

  1. Name and date of birth of the voter
  2. the address where you are registered
  3. an address where the ballot is to be sent
  4. the reason for the request

Mail your Application to:
Ulster County Board of Elections
284 Wall Street
Kingston, NY 12401

You must apply online, postmark, email, or fax your completed absentee ballot application. We must be receive at the local, Ulster County Board of Elections, by close of business on October 27. If sending by mail it must be postmarked, on or before October 27. After that, voters can continue to apply for absentees in person at the Ulster County Board through the close of business on Monday, November 2. Voters may also vote in person from October 24th to November 1st at our early voting centers.

You may file an application at any time before the deadlines, but ballots will be mailed out beginning on or about September 18, 2020. (PLEASE BE AWARE THAT DESPITE THE ABOVE DEADLINES THE POST OFFICE HAS ADVISED THAT THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE TIMELY DELIVERY OF BALLOTS APPLIED FOR LESS THAN 15 DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION.)

If a voter chooses to vote by absentee, they should expect to receive a ballot with two envelopes, an inner oath envelope and an outer return envelope. Once the ballot is marked and placed in the inner envelope, it is critical that the voter sign, and date the inner absentee ballot envelope on the space provided and seal it. That is placed in the outer envelope, which has the Board’s return mail information printed on it, and returned to the Board of Elections. Absentee ballots applications must be postmarked or returned to the Ulster County Board of Elections no later than October 27, 2020.

Military / Overseas Information

Additional Information

Eligibility

You may vote by absentee ballot if you will be:

  • unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day
  • unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability
  • a patient in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital
  • detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony
  • Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability (temporary illness includes being unable to appear due to risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19).
  • Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.