Absentee Information
Qualifications to Vote by Absentee Ballot
- Unavoidably absent from Erie County, or
- Unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability, or
- A patient in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital, or
- Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.
- NEW- Public health emergency (COVID-19)
Qualifications to Vote by Military or Federal Absentee Ballot
- Actively in the Military, or
- US citizen living outside of the country.
- Click here for a PDF version of the Military/ Federal Absentee Ballot Application Form.
- Additional information can be found by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
How to Vote by Absentee Ballot
- Applications for Absentee Ballots are available at your county board of elections.
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click here for a PDF version of the Absentee Ballot Application Form.
- Upon completion, applications must be postmarked no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election.ter than the day before the election.
- You may also request an Absentee Ballot by sending a letter to the Erie County Board of Elections. The letter must be post marked no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information:
- your name and date of birth
- an address where you are registered
- the reason for the request
- if out of county, the place you will be and the dates you will be gone
- an address where the ballot is to be sent , and
- the signature of the voter
If you cannot pick up your ballot, or will not be able to receive it through the mail, you have the right to designate someone to pick it up for you. Only that person designated on your application may pick up and deliver your ballot.
If you are permanently ill or disabled, you have the right to receive an Absentee Ballot for each subsequent election without further application. Simply file an application indicating permanent illness or physical disability. You will then automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election until your registration is canceled.
Please do not fax your applications to the Board of Elections, all correspondence should be printed and mailed to: