On Tuesday, Nov. 3, midterm election polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in New York State and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in New Jersey. Voters who have voted before do not need ID, but first-time voters who did not provide ID when they registered must bring it. Anyone in line at closing time can still vote.
According to NBC New York, on Election Day for the midterms, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in New York State and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in New Jersey and Connecticut. Anyone already in line at closing time can wait and cast a ballot. Voting is allowed only at the polling place assigned to your address.
Before voting, check whether you are registered and where your polling place is. Links for New York and New Jersey voters are provided in the NBC New York article. You can also look up a sample ballot in advance showing the candidates and ballot proposals for your area.
In both New York and New Jersey, voters who have voted before do not need to bring ID. However, first-time voters who did not provide ID when they registered must bring valid identification. If you are asked for ID and do not have it, you can ask poll workers for an affidavit ballot. This is a provisional ballot, and you should ask the poll workers what additional steps are required for your vote to be counted.
The voting process goes as follows: check-in with poll workers, move to the voting booth, mark a paper ballot with a pen, and feed it into the scanner. In this election, New York State will decide whether Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul wins re-election or is replaced by Republican Bruce Blakeman. NBC reported that nearly 2 million New Yorkers have already voted early, and that independent voters could be a deciding factor in the governor's race. Nationally, the election will also determine which party controls the U.S. House and Senate.
The closing times in New York and New Jersey differ by one hour. Voters in New Jersey must vote by 8 p.m., and voters in New York by 9 p.m.