While Election Day is still a couple of weeks away, voting has started here in New York. For those of you old enough to remember the days of the lever voting behind a “Wizard-of-Oz” curtain, casting your ballot in New York has changed a lot.

The lever machines are out, filling in the paper-ballot bubble is in. Nowadays scanning machines quickly tabulate the paper votes, leaving a physical document that has your vote, unlike the old days when no such record existed.

And that’s not the only thing that’s changed. Instead of only being able to vote on the first Tuesday in November, New Yorkers can vote during an early voting period and can now cast their choices through the mail.

As a result, New York votes are now more secure and casting a ballot is much easier. And New York has moved near the national average in the election participation.

This year, New Yorkers can choose one of three ways to vote:

• In person (during the early voting period or on Election Day);
• By requesting an absentee ballot (if you will be traveling or due to an illness); or
• New this year – by requesting an early voting mail-in ballot without needing to provide an excuse.

For those who are interested in voting through the mail, this is the last week to register to do so. The mail-in ballot (that does not require an excuse) is new, so if you would like to vote this way, here is how.

Request a mail-in ballot online or visit your local Board of Elections office.  Mail-in ballot applications must be received by the Board of Elections by this Saturday, October 26th.  Your ballot will be sent to you immediately after your application is received and processed.

If you are mailing in your ballot, when you have finished voting, fold the ballot and put it in the security envelope. Sign, date, and seal the security envelope. Put it in the return envelope and mail it, postmarked no later than November 5th. Return envelopes already include postage and the return address of your Board of Elections.

If you do not want to mail your ballot, you have a few options: Hand deliver it to your local county Board of Elections office by November 5th before 9 PM. Bring it to an early voting site in your county between October 26th and November 3rd (hours and locations vary by county). Or bring it to a poll site in your county on Election Day (November 5th before 9 PM).

Once you have mailed in your ballot, after a few days you can then track your early mail-in ballot online.

If you haven’t registered to vote, you still have time. This Saturday, October 26^th is also the voter registration deadline. If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, you can check your voter registration status online.  If you are not registered yet, you can register online or visit your local Board of Elections office to pick up a voter registration form. But don’t delay, as noted the voter registration deadline is October 26^th.

October 26^th is also the first day of early voting. Early voting lasts through Nov. 3^rd. Polling hours may vary, and early voting sites may differ from Election Day voting sites. The best way to know the hours of early voting and the polling locations – which are often different from those used for the traditional General Election Day – is to check with your local county board of elections.

Registered voters may cast ballots during early voting. In addition to checking their voter status, the State Board of Elections website will provide the location for early voting and Election Day polling places.

The General Election Day is Tuesday November 5^th during the period 6 a.m. through 9 p.m. (remember if you have voted during the early voting period, or if you voted by mail, you cannot vote again during the General Election).

However you choose to vote, when you have received your ballot, vote for the candidates of your choice on the front, and flip over your ballot to vote on the question(s) on the back (every voter will have a statewide ballot proposal, and your ballot may also include local ballot proposals from your municipal government).

Wherever you are along the partisan divide, over the next couple of weeks you have your opportunity to have your voice heard. You can vote by mail, cast a ballot early starting this Saturday, or vote on the traditional General Election Day, November 5^th. As the saying goes, not choosing is choosing. Vote.