New York City Primary Day Is Here

Everything you need to know about voting today.

  • Author: Valerie Stepanova

Tuesday, June 23 is a big day in New York. Today, the city is having its first primary election during the coronavirus pandemic, and several tightly contested House races on the lines — including dozens of contests in the State Senate and Assembly, and in the House of Representatives. It is worth noting that hundreds of thousands of people in the state have already cast ballots via absentee.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for those who decide to vote in person. The voting process has been adapted to take the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic into account. All voters are required to wear a face covering when casting their ballot, and the social-distancing markers are there to serve as reminders to keep at least six feet apart at the poll sites. Poll workers are disinfecting when and where they can, and voters will get an antiviral hand wipe at the poll site entrance.

WHERE TO VOTE

Look up your polling site and view a sample ballot here.

HOW TO VOTE

Cast your ballot at your voting site.

It is now too late to request an absentee ballot. But if you have one, it must be postmarked or delivered in person to your polling site or your borough’s Board of Elections by Tuesday. If you requested but did not receive an absentee ballot, you are still eligible to vote in person.

WHO CAN VOTE?

You must be a registered member of a political party that has a contested primary. You can check whether you are registered to vote here.

WHO IS RUNNING?

Over 50 state and federal races are being contested in New York City alone. Registered Democrats will receive a ballot with 11 presidential candidates, even though former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is the party’s presumptive nominee.

Also taking place are the high-stakes congressional primaries, where Democratic Representatives Eliot L. Engel and Yvette Clarke are facing serious challenges. Representatives Nita Lowey and Jose E. Serrano are racing to effectively fill the seats of longtime members of Congress who are stepping down.

As for the State Legislature, about 30 Democrats are facing primary challenges — alongside a handful of Republican primaries who have become competitive. Meanwhile, the left-wing groups are vying to ride a progressive wave in recent years to out several longtime House incumbents in the city, especially in Brooklyn and Queens where gentrification and demographic shifts have helped fuel notable insurgent candidacies before.

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