Want to know the what, where and when for voting in Pike, Sullivan and Wayne Counties? Here's the info you need to know as you're making your way to the polls.

Q&A

Q: What time do the polls close?

A: Polls close at 9:00 p.m. in New York and at 8 p.m. in Pennsylvania on election day, but if you are in line to vote at the time the polls close, stay in line, you still have the right to vote.

Q: Are there identification requirements to vote? 

A: Registered voters are never required to show photo identification to vote in New York. However, depending on how you registered, and if this is the first time you are voting, there is a small chance that poll site officials will ask you to confirm your name and address with an official document. If this is the case, you may use photo identification or a copy of any of the following documents:

Current utility bill;

Bank statement;

Paycheck; or

Other government documents showing your name and address.

If you do not have any of these forms of identification, but believe you are eligible to vote, you may request an affidavit ballot at your poll site or submit a mail-in ballot.

In Pennsylvania, first-time voters must show proof of identification, either with a photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or student ID or with a document including your name and address, such as a voter registration card or a bank statement. This only applies to the first time you vote at a particular polling place. 

Q: What voting accommodations are you entitled to?

A: Under New York law, voters with disabilities must be provided with reasonable accommodations to ensure meaningful access to voting.

Accommodations if voting in person:

A friend or relative may help you in the voting booth.

Election inspectors at the site can also help and can provide assistive devices.

A poll worker may also provide you with reasonable accommodations, such as having a chair, having someone else stand in line for you, or moving to the front of the line if you cannot stand for long periods.

Accommodations If voting by mail:

You can cast an accessible absentee ballot. Request a disability-accessible absentee ballot through the New York State Board of Elections. This also comes with a postage-paid return envelope.

You can sign the security envelope on the raised marker (you can sign anywhere else on the envelope if you have difficulty signing it on the marker).

You can also use an electronic voting method that lets you mark your ballot with your own assistive technology.

In Pennsylvania, every polling place must have at least one accessible voting system. Voters can also bring a person of your choice to assist you in the voting process, which will require you to complete a Declaration of Need of Assistance. 

Q: Where can you seek assistance on election day?

A: Call the Election Protection Hotline.

The Office of the Attorney General’s Election Protection Hotline will be available to receive reports of any type of intimidation or other interference with the right to vote beginning Saturday, October 26.

The telephone hotline will be open between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. during early voting from Saturday, October 26 through Sunday, November 3, as well as on Monday, November 4, and Wednesday, November 6, and between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

New Yorkers who observe voter intimidation or any other illegal activity at the polls are encouraged to contact the hotline by either calling (866) 390-2992 or submitting a complaint online. Hotline calls and written requests for assistance are processed by OAG attorneys and staff.

Pennsylvania voters are requested to report polling place issues to the Judge of Elections at the polling place before they leave. If your issue is not resolved by the Judge of Elections, report it to the county election office by completing an online form https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/ReportElectionComplaints.aspx or by calling 1-877-VOTESPA. 

Voting rights

Every voting-eligible citizen has the constitutional right to vote and to do so freely without fear of intimidation, coercion, or threats to their safety.

What to do if you show up to vote at your voting site and your name does not appear on the voter list:

You show up and your name is not on the voter list, but you believe you are in the right location, at the right table, and are eligible to vote. You have the right to request, fill out, and submit an affidavit ballot—a provisional ballot that won’t be immediately scanned and counted but set aside to be counted and tallied with the vote total if/and when officials can verify voter eligibility.

It is illegal to electioneer or campaign inside or within 100 feet of a polling place in New York, and 10 feet in Pennsylvania. In PA it is also illegal for law enforcement to be within 100 feet of polling locations unless for a specific case.

All voters are entitled to privacy in the voting booth, and it is illegal for any other individual to invade your privacy while voting, according to New York law.

No one should request to see your ballot, and it is illegal in New York to show your completed ballot to anyone else—including by posting it on social media. Guidance from the Pennsylvania State Department says voters have a First Amendment right to take pictures with their ballots, but recommends that voters wait until they leave the polling place to post such “ballot selfies.”

Under state and federal law, it is illegal for anyone to intimidate, threaten, or coerce voters in an attempt to disrupt their right to vote. It is also illegal, according to New York State law, to bring any firearm, rifle, or shotgun to polling places, or to use any other weapon to intimidate or harass voters.

In Pennsylvania, voters who have a legal right to carry a firearm can bring their weapon into a polling place; however, this is not the case if the polling place is within a location such as a school or a courthouse where carrying a firearm is prohibited, and certain behaviors such as intimidation using the firearm are illegal. The Pennsylvania Department of State recommends voters leave their guns at home or in their car.

If you are incarcerated on misdemeanor charges, in jail awaiting trial, or on parole or probation, you are eligible to vote. If you were convicted of a felony and have served your full sentence, you are eligible to vote but must re-register.

Pennsylvania voting information

The last day for voters to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot passed on October 29. Mail-in ballots must be received at the county election office by 8 p.m. on election day, November 5 — “A postmark by 8 p.m. November 5 is not sufficient,” according to vote.pa.gov.

Voters can submit an emergency application for a mail-in ballot if an unexpected illness, disability, or last-minute absence would keep them from voting in person. Contact your county election office for more information.

The Pike County Board of Elections encourages voters to “plan ahead,” and says peak voting times are from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. The office encourages voters to check their registration status before heading to the polls (possible at www.vote.pa.gov), and to bring ID to the polls; “Although ID is only required for first-time voters, voters voting in a new polling location for the first time and inactive voters, it’s always a good idea to carry ID with you to the polls in case you need it.”

“We are expecting a very high turnout on Election Day,” adds the board. “Please bring your patience and be respectful of our hard-working poll workers and your fellow citizens inside the polling place and while waiting in line.”