On the morning of November 3, 2026, the line outside your assigned polling place in Brooklyn or the Bronx moves at the pace of a church social — neighbours in coats, a folding table of sample ballots, someone's campaign literature fluttering underfoot. Polls are open citywide for local, state and federal offices, and the day has a rhythm worth planning around: quiet morning queues, a lunchtime rush, and the long evening pull toward 9 p.m.
Cast a Ballot at Your Assigned Poll Site
New York's General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (listed on the city calendar as Nov 3–4), with polling at poll sites across all five boroughs. Before you go, use the poll site finder and pull your sample ballot at findmypollsite.vote.nyc; the Board of Elections at vote.nyc and its election-dates page (vote.nyc/elections) carry the official details. Voters are assigned to a specific site, so check before you set out rather than walking to the school nearest your hotel.
- Confirm your assigned poll site at findmypollsite.vote.nyc before Election Day.
- Download or print your sample ballot so you know the races before you enter the booth.
- If you cannot vote in person — illness, travel — mail ballots may be delivered to the county board no later than 9 p.m. on November 3, 2026.
Vote Early and Spend the Weekend in the City
Early voting runs October 24 through November 1, 2026, at select sites, and early voters are assigned to an Early Voting Poll Site — check yours the same way. Listed hours include 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so build a morning around it and leave the afternoon free. Voting early takes the pressure off November 3 itself and gives you the run of the city on the weekend before the election.
- Early voting window: October 24 – November 1, 2026, at select sites only.
- Confirm your assigned Early Voting Poll Site in advance; hours are posted per site (an example listing is 9 a.m.–5 p.m.).
- Keep the evening of November 3 clear if you want to watch returns come in — polls close and mail ballots are due by 9 p.m.
Follow the City's Official Calendar
The election is listed on the official NYC.gov events calendar, which is the place to watch for anything the city posts around the date. Be aware that the same calendar carries unrelated seasonal listings — farm stands, Halloween parties, lead-poisoning-prevention outreach and Trick-or-Streets — so read each entry rather than assuming an Election Day tie-in.
- Bookmark the NYC.gov events calendar and search for the General Election listing.
- Treat late-October listings (Halloween parties, Trick-or-Streets, farm stands) as their own thing, not as election programming.
Make a Day of It, Borough by Borough
Because poll sites are spread citywide, your assigned site may land you in a neighbourhood you would not otherwise have walked. Let the site finder decide your morning geography: vote, then take the long way back — a diner counter, a park bench, a stretch of street you have not seen. With early voting open from October 24, you can pair the ballot with a weekend of ordinary New York pleasures rather than squeezing it into a workday.
- Use the poll site finder to learn your site's address, then plan a walk from there.
- Vote early (October 24 – November 1) if you want the weekend free for the rest of the city.
- On November 3, aim to be at your site before the evening crunch; mail ballots must reach the county board by 9 p.m.
Start with the two links that matter: findmypollsite.vote.nyc for your site and sample ballot, and vote.nyc/elections for the official dates. Check your assignment, mark October 24 – November 1 for early voting or November 3 for the day itself, and build the rest of the trip around a city going about its business while it votes.