Vote is a way for people to decide things. In a democracy, we vote to select (or elect) people to represent us in government and make decisions for us. We also vote to express our preferences in a range of other ways, such as in social clubs, where members might decide what film to watch by voting.
You can register to vote in New York City online, by mail or in person at any Board of Elections office. You can also check your voter status and find information about other important dates like the deadline for registering to vote or updating your registration, absentee or military/overseas voting, and poll worker training sessions. You can even subscribe to NYC Votes to receive email alerts on election dates and deadlines, voting machine demonstrations and Commissioner meetings.
Some voting systems allow you to rank candidates in order of preference (ranked ballots). Others allow only one choice, such as the Single Non-Transferable Vote, or STV used in Afghanistan and Vanuatu. And some, like the instant runoff system used in Australia and Ireland, or a form of proportional representation called ranked-choice voting, use multiple votes per available position.
Regardless of how you vote, your voice matters. It determines how much money your local schools will get, what kind of roads you’ll drive on and the policies around pay equity, immigration and crime prevention. So vote wisely and encourage those around you to do the same.