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Deadline to vote in this year's election and next year's presidential primary is today

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Friday is the deadline for New Yorkers to vote in this year’s elections. But there’s an added avenue to register to vote by the midnight deadline.

While many residents will beat the deadline by registering through a board of elections office or website they can also do it through the New York Department of Motor Vehicles.  Voters have been able to register on their My DMVsite for a couple of years now.  But this is the first year they can wait till the last minute, according to Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny.

“That’s kind of new this year,” said Czarny. “In previous years, you had to do it well ahead of time, to make sure it got to us.  But they have an electronic time stamp now, so it’s a true electronic voter registration with the DMV.”

This isn’t the only deadline for New York voters today, according to Czarny.

“A lot of people are getting energized about next year’s presidential primary,” said Czarny. “And people who want to vote in that primary have to enroll in either the Republican or Democratic party, and people are switching registrations. They also have to do that by October 9.  That’s New York state law.  If you don’t change it by today, you won’t be able to vote in that primary.”

New York’s presidential primary is scheduled for April 19. New Yorkers registering for the first time don’t have to follow today’s deadline, but can wait until March.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.