Spectrum News sat down with Ashley Dittus the Democratic Election Commissioner and John Quigley the Republican Deputy Republican Commissioner at the Ulster County Board of Elections to break down the ins-and-outs of voting by mail this year.

"It’s a lot easier to get an absentee ballot now," Dittus said.

Because of COVID-19, all New Yorkers are eligible to vote by mail or absentee ballot this year. You can apply for a ballot by calling your county’s board of elections, walking into the board of elections office or applying for one on your county’s board of elections website.

"So you go right on here that takes you to this web portal request so you have to choose your county then you put in your information," said Dittus, explaining the website.

Then you fill out where you want your ballot mailed and give your reason for voting absentee.

"[Reasons can include being] away from the county, but then temporary illness has been expanded to mean potential of COVID-19 so we’re getting a lot of requests that are for this reason," said Dittus.

In Ulster County, you can expect to receive your absentee ballot within a week. But what do you do when you receive your ballot?

"This is the little package that you'll get with your ballot. This is the back of it you'll notice that it first says official absentee ballot," Quigley said. “Then you fill it out.”

"It's super easy to just complete your ballot, you take a regular pen and just like if you vote in-person in New York state you will have a ballot that has the candidates’ names and then there's these little tiny circles next to their names," said Dittus.

Don’t forget to flip over your ballot to check for ballot propositions too. But there are some things you should avoid doing on your ballot.

"Writing your name on the ballot – you can't do that," said Dittus. "Writing any notes on the ballot, you can't do that either, those are called identifying marks and it will invalidate your ballot."

If you make a mistake and fill in the wrong circle, call your board of elections to get a new ballot. Once you finish completing your ballot, simply fold it back up, slip the ballot in the oath envelope, sign your name, and then seal the oath envelope securely and place it in the mailing envelope.

You can then drop it off at a dropbox at your board of elections, early voting site, or poll site on election day, or mail the ballot back to the board of elections with a stamp.

The ballot has to be postmarked by election day in order for the board of elections to count it. The last date to request an absentee ballot be sent to you by mail is October 27, but you can request one in person up until the day before the election.