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New York is one of the few states that follows a dual registration system: a primary and a general election.
New York is one of the few states that follows a dual registration system: a primary and a general election. Voters can register in any party’s primary at their discretion but must change parties when they vote in the general election.
For example, if you’re registered as an independent voter but voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 (or Bernie Sanders if you live outside New York City), your registration won’t be transferred to whichever party controls each seat being contested this year—the Democratic Party or Republican Party—until after Election Day in November 2020.
A voter can register in any party’s primary at their discretion but must change parties when they vote in the general election.
A voter can register in any party’s primary at their discretion but must change parties when they vote in the general election.
This is a pretty straightforward process—you need to know where to go and what to do. First, contact your local Board of Elections office by phone or email (see our contact information below). If you don’t live near an area with one of those offices, you can find contact information for other locations on this page. They’ll help you register as a Democrat or Republican if that’s what you want!
The deadline to change party affiliation is at least 40 days before an election.
The deadline to change party affiliation is at least 40 days before an election. It can be a state or federal election or up to 100 days before the general election.
If you need to find out whether your state has changed its deadline since the last time you changed your political party affiliation, check with your local elections office or go online to find out more information about the rules for changing parties in your state.
Section 501(c) (3) organizations cannot be both political parties.
The IRS has a specific definition for 501(c) (3) organizations. These are not political parties and cannot be both.
A 501(c)(3) can do anything except:
If you have a felony conviction, you must wait before changing party affiliation if you have had the sentence more than ten years before.
If you have a felony conviction, you must wait before changing party affiliation if you have had the sentence more than ten years before.
If you have a felony conviction and want to change your party affiliation, then your new party alignment will be based on that single offense. You will not be able to switch back unless all felonies are expunged from your record, or other conditions are met.
Some voters who are registered Democrats are disenfranchised because there are not enough Democratic candidates available in many local races or because their state or local primaries are not open to all voters.
Some voters who are registered Democrats are disenfranchised because there are not enough Democratic candidates available in many local races or because their state or local primaries are not open to all voters. The result is that many people who should be able to vote for a Democratic candidate cannot.
Some states allow you to change your registration after voting has begun, but this is often a complicated process and can take months or even years—if it’s allowed at all! If you don’t have access to the Internet and don’t know where to start, here’s what we recommend:
Some voters are registered in both political parties, though they can only choose which one to vote for on Election Day.
If you are a registered voter and want to change your party affiliation, there are several ways you can do so.
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