Matthew Hamilton is reporting in the Times Union Fri., Oct. 13, is the deadline to register to vote in the November general election. By Friday, an eligible voter must drop off, fill out online or postmark a voter registration application. Any mailed materials must be received at a board of elections by Oct. 18. Voters can verify their registration status online through the state Board of Elections website at Voter Lookup [dot] elections [dot] state [dot] US. Voter registration forms are available on the state Board of Elections website, and online registrations can be submitted through the the state Department Motor Vehicles' MyDMV online portal. Under an executive order signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo this year, voters may register through any state agency, as well. Friday is also the deadline for voters to change their political party affiliation if they want to vote in a federal or state primary for another party in 2018. New York has a closed primary system, meaning that, for example, only registered Republicans can vote in Republican primaries. Under the current voter registration laws, the annual deadline to switch parties is more than six months before federal primaries and nearly a year before state and local primaries. Read the full story in the Times Union.