VOTER OUTREACH & INFORMATION CENTER

Welcome To VOICE

Here are some statistics
that may shock you.

Only 60.1% of New York's total population is registered to vote.
During the last presidential election (2012) only 60.4% of those registered Empire State voters turned out to cast their ballot. In the 2010 election, only 40.4% of voters went to the polls.
National statistics demonstrate that only one in four eligible evangelical Christians votes. Nearly 75% of the Christian community is not casting ballots on Election Day!

Statistics like these led New Yorker's Family Research Foundation to launch the Voter Outreach and Information Center (VOICE) Project. The VOICE Project seeks to apply modern technologies to register new voters, while also activating New York residents who are registered to vote, but do not exercise their voting rights. The VOICE Project is a nonpartisan effort focused on encouraging Christian New Yorkers to register and vote; as such, the VOICE Project partners with churches and local organizations that wish to conduct voter registration drives.

A Christian influence is badly needed in our halls of government. One important way to influence our government is to help decide who represents us. That’s why our VOICE Project is working with churches across the state to encourage Christians to register and vote.

1) Be Involved

2. Encourage Others

3) Get Informed

4) Visit The Polls

1) Be Involved

BE INVOLVED

It is important to encourage our like-minded friends, relatives, neighbors, and fellow churchgoers to register to vote. NYFRF encourages your local church or organization to hold its own nonpartisan voter registration drive. We welcome the opportunity to have a conversation with you or your pastor about how to achieve this. We can offer technology to verify enrollment statistics among your congregation, voter registration forms, church bulletin inserts and even speakers to help promote this effort. We cannot do it without your involvement, though. Please call (585) 225-2220 or e-mail us today.

2. Encourage Others

ENCOURAGE OTHERS

3) Get Informed

BE INVOLVED

Simply registering and voting is not enough. A voter who lacks information about the candidates is not in a position to cast a well-thought-out, informed vote. NYFRF offers a free online voter guide (coming soon!) that covers statewide races, congressional races, and state legislative races. As Election Day approaches, visit our web site to find out where the candidates stand on the issues that matter to you. To find out which legislative districts you reside in, please click here.

4) Visit The Polls

Visit The Polls

Please make sure to visit the polls and vote in the New York Primary on April 19, 2016 and on Election Day, November 8, 2016. To find out where your polling place is located, please click here. If you are unavailable to vote on that date, you may contact your County Board of Elections before Election Day and obtain an absentee ballot.

CHRISTIAN NEW YORKERS, WE HAVE WORK TO DO!

During the last quarter-century of NYFRF's existence, we have seen the trajectory of this state move in a direction hostile to our four core values of protecting human life, promoting strong families, preserving religious liberty and proclaiming justice and mercy. As a nonprofit charity, NYFRF's mission is to educate, encourage and equip Christians for effective participation in New York State government. We recognize that our state needs a new trajectory, but that new trajectory isn't going to happen without the engagement and involvement of the next generation of conservative-thinking and values-minded voters.

NYFRF is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that does not endorse political parties or candidates. NYFRF recognizes that our state's greatest need is spiritual, not political. However, we also recognize that the Christian community cannot expect to see positive changes in New York's government unless people of faith get informed, register and vote. Thank you for your continued support!

Contribute

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VOICE Project?

The Voter Outreach and Information Center (VOICE) Project is a project of New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation (NYFRF). The VOICE Project seeks to apply modern technologies to register new voters, while also activating New York residents who are registered to vote, but do not exercise their voting rights. The VOICE Project is a nonpartisan effort focused on encouraging Christian New Yorkers to register and vote; as such, the VOICE Project partners with churches and local organizations that wish to conduct voter registration drives. The VOICE Project furthers NYFRF’s mission to educate, encourage, and equip Christians for effective participation in New York State government.

Why is it important for Christians to register and vote?

It is important for all Americans to register and vote so that election results truly reflect the will of the people. It is important for Christians to register and vote so that we can help to elect officeholders that will seek to do what is right in God’s sight and will be responsive to the concerns of Christian believers. If believers opt to stay at home rather than voting on Election Day, we should not be surprised when the actions of our government do not reflect a Christian influence.

Many recent elections in New York have been extremely close, with some election results not being determined until after the first of the following year. In fact, in 2012, one State Senate race was decided by a margin of only 18 votes. Every vote truly does count, and every vote is important.

May churches participate in voter registration efforts without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status?

Yes. Churches may encourage their congregants to register and vote—and may provide voter registration materials—without violating federal laws and regulations regarding tax-exempt organizations, provided that they do not steer potential registrants toward specific political parties or candidates. For more information, please visit the Alliance Defending Freedom website, and, specifically, its publication entitled “Churches and Voter Drives,” located under the heading “Churches & Politics/General Resources.”

I am not certain whether or not I am registered to vote. How can I find out?

To find out whether you are currently registered to vote, please click here.

How and where can I register to vote?

The New York State Board of Elections web site indicates that to be eligible to register to vote, you must:

Be a United States citizen;
Be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you submit a voter registration form (note: you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote);
Have lived at your present address at least 30 days before an election;
Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction;
Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court; and
Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

You may register to vote by using this online tool. You may also register in person at your county board of elections or at any New York State agency-based voter registration center. For more information, please visit the web site of the New York State Board of Elections.

What is the voter registration deadline for this year?

If you register to vote by mail, your voter registration application must be postmarked no later than October 10 and received by a board of elections no later than October 15. In-person registration applications are due October 10.

Which public offices are to be filled in the 2016 elections?

On April 19, 2016, New York voters will elect candidates for the November 2016 presidential election.

How may I find out who my elected officials are?

This information may be found through the web site of NYFRF’s affiliate organization, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms.

I am not sure where my polling place is. How can I find out?

To locate your polling place, please click here.

My church or organization would like to hold a nonpartisan voter registration drive. How should we proceed?

NYFRF welcomes the opportunity to have a conversation with you about how to hold a voter registration drive. We can offer technology to verify enrollment statistics among your congregation, voter registration forms, church bulletin inserts, and even speakers to help promote this effort. We cannot do it without your involvement, though. Please call (585) 225-2220 or e-mail us today.

I am a pastor, and I’d like more information on the “dos” and “don’ts” for pastors and churches in regard to political activity.

The Alliance Defending Freedom publication entitled “Guidelines for ‘Political Activities’ by Churches and Pastors,” available here under the heading “Churches & Politics/General Resources,” provides a helpful primer on this topic.

What can I do to help New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation with the VOICE Project?

First, if you haven’t already done so, please register to vote. Second, please encourage like-minded friends and neighbors to register to vote. Third, be informed about the candidates through our online voter guide. Fourth, don’t forget to vote. Your vote makes a difference! And fifth, to contribute to the VOICE Project financially, please click here. NYFRF is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that does not endorse political parties or candidates. Donations are tax-deductible. Your support is appreciated!