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Can you vote in NY's upcoming June primary? Find out here.
By
Brigid Bergin
Published Jun 7, 2023
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By
Brigid Bergin
Published Jun 7, 2023
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Roses are red, violets are blue, it’s election time in New York and we made a checklist for you!
Due to last year’s decennial redistricting process, new districts for all 51 members of the City Council mean there are several competitive primary elections this month. But it’s a relatively quiet election season in New York City compared to the recent city and statewide primaries in the last two years.
Depending on where you live in the city, there may also be primary elections for other contests like district attorney, civil court judge, and party positions like county committee member.
Here is a handy checklist with the information you need before the election.
When is the primary election?
Primary day is Tuesday, June 27. Polls will be open across the city from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. A primary is when candidates from the same party challenge each other, with the winner going on to become their party's candidate in the general election.
Can you vote on another day?
Yes. You can cast your ballot ahead of June 27 thanks to early voting. Early voting runs for nine days, with one day off before the primary. This year, early voting starts on June 17 and extends through June 25.
Who can vote in this election?
To vote later this month, you must be a registered voter in a party with a primary. Meaning, if you’re a registered Democrat, you can cast a ballot if there is a Democratic primary. If you’re a registered Republican, you can vote if there is a Republican primary. There is also a Conservative Party primary in the 13th Council District in the Bronx.
Are there primaries in all of New York City this year?
Only voters in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens have primary elections this year. There are no primary contests in Staten Island.
How do you find out if there is a primary in your neighborhood?
Enter your address in the New York City Board of elections poll site finder. It will tell you where you vote during early voting and on Primary Day (Note: those locations will likely be different). It will also provide you with the option to view a sample ballot so you know what contests and which candidates will be on your ballot before you go to your poll site.
Will ranked-choice voting be used for this election?
Yes, for any City Council primary contest, voters have the option to rank their choices in order of preference with up to five candidates. However, the races are not as crowded as they were when ranked-choice voting first launched citywide in 2021, so voters with a Council primary will likely have fewer candidates to rank on the ballot.
In the primary contests for Bronx and Queens district attorneys, as well as the other judicial and party positions, ranked-choice voting will not be used.
Is it too late to register to vote?
No. The deadline to register to vote is June 17, 10 days before the primary. A new voter can actually register and vote on the same, “golden day,” using an affidavit ballot.
Can you register to vote online?
Yes. For the first time this year, any eligible voter can register to vote online. Up until now, a person needed to have an account with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
Is it too late to change party affiliation?
Yes, if you are already registered to vote, the deadline to change party affiliation was Feb.14 under state election law.
Where can a voter check registration status?
The easiest place to check registration status is through the New York City or New York State Board of Elections websites. A voter in New York City could also call 866-868-3692.
What is the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot?
If you are applying online or by mail, the Board of Elections must receive your application by Monday, June 12. You can apply for an absentee ballot in person at your local Board of Elections office up until the day before the election on Monday, June 26.
What reasons can you use to request an absentee ballot?
If you decide to request an absentee ballot, you must choose from one of the five excuses currently permitted under state law. According to the state Board of Elections, those excuses include:
- You are out of the five boroughs or your county on Election Day.
- You have a temporary or permanent illness or disability.
- You are the primary caregiver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
- You live at a Veterans Administration Hospital.
- You are in jail or prison for something other than a felony conviction, including a person awaiting grand jury action, awaiting trial, or serving a sentence for a misdemeanor.
Is fear of contracting COVID-19 still an excuse to request an absentee ballot?
No. The law that allowed voters to choose an excuse that was related to the fear of contracting a disease sunset at the end of last year. Last fall, several Conservative and Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit seeking to change that law sooner, arguing that a court should not allow people to apply for an absentee ballot if they cited concern over contracting an infectious disease like COVID-19 as their excuse. While a lower court ruled in their favor, potentially jeopardizing thousands of votes, the Appellate Court Third Department upheld the law in large measure because the lawsuit was filed too close to the ongoing election.
OK, I have a valid excuse. Where can I apply for an absentee ballot?
Both the New York City and the New York State Board of Elections built absentee ballot portals that allow a voter to request the ballot online and track the status of their ballot. There is also an accessible online portal for voters who are visually impaired or otherwise need an accessible option. A voter can also complete an absentee ballot application at a local Board of Elections office. Those addresses are here.
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new york city
City Council
Politics
election
Brigid Bergin
Brigid Bergin is an award-winning senior reporter on the People and Power desk. She is fiercely committed to telling stories that help people engage and support democracy. In 2022, she hosted a live, ten-week call-in politics show ahead of the midterm elections called The People's Guide to Power. Brigid's reporting in 2017 included some of the first coverage of a political newcomer now known as AOC. In 2016, she broke the news of a voter purge in Brooklyn just days before New York’s presidential primary, triggering city, state and federal investigations. Brigid also guest hosts The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. She graduated from the University at Albany and the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-723-4719.
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