The New York State Board of Elections has launched an online Absentee Ballot Application Portal, through which registered voters can apply now for an absentee ballot.
The Portal can be found at https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/. Voters may click through the web form to request an absentee ballot, which will be sent to them in the mail.
Voters may vote by absentee ballot for several reasons including temporary illness — which includes being unable to appear at the polls due to risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19.
Remember, besides the new online portal, you also may apply for an absentee ballot in any of the following ways:
By sending an email request to BOE-WestAbsentee@westchestergov.com. By sending a fax request to (914) 995-7753 or (914) 995-3190. By going in-person to the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 1060. By mailing a paper absentee ballot application to the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601. By phoning the Westchester County Board of Elections at (914) 995-5285
For more absentee ballot information visit https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/absentee-ballots.
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DO YOU VOTE? -By Ann Muro, Yonkers
One of the many conversations I had with my (late) husband Michael Muro centered around politics, and yes, even philosophy. Michael majored in history and political season in college and he also knew about the sentiment expressed by the philosopher Plato with regard to politics. It was that the penalty for wise men not participating in government is for them to be ruled by unwise men.
However, there are many variations with regard to the wording and verbiage of that phrase. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated “Plato says that the punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government is to live under the government of worse men…”
My degree is in behavioral psychology but I also took and enjoyed philosophical psychology. We learned about Plato and other Greek philosophers and that Plato had been a student of Socrates and later when Plato went on to teach political philosophy he had Aristotle as his student.
It is so ironic that here we are centuries later with the same message or warning whether it be from the political arena, the media or others. It is true today as it was back then. VOTING IS IMPORTANT!!! Often someone will complain to me about politics and then I will ask “Do you vote?” and their answer is NO.
I always say forewarned is forearmed. GO VOTE!!!
Ann Muro, Yonkers
Ann Muro, Yonkers 
