Good Question: How does New York keep people from voting twice?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Election Day is just two weeks away. That’s the focus of our Good Question.

A local teacher’s AP government class wants to know: If someone mails in a ballot this year, even on the last day it can be postmarked, what’s to stop that same person from going to a polling site casting another vote?

Let’s make this clear: intentionally voting twice in the same election is illegal.

New York’s system is set up to only count one ballot per voter.

“They won’t get more than one opportunity to vote because before any absentee ballot is canvassed, the board of elections will check the Election Day poll book,” John Conklin with the New York State Board of Elections said.

If you vote absentee, then you want to change your vote or second guess the mail-in process, you have options.

You can void your ballot sent through the mail in these three ways.

– Ask for a second absentee ballot, then send it in (the last one that arrives counts)
– You can vote in person early at a polling site
– Go to the polls on Election Day

Bottom line? If the board of elections sees you wanted to vote in person, that vote is the one that counts, and your absentee ballot is tossed.

Click here for more Decision 2020 coverage.

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If you have a question you’d like answered, email GoodQuestion@whec.com.