Early voting in New York City kicks off this Saturday ahead of the June 27 primary election.
Polling sites across the five boroughs will let New Yorkers cast ballots at their convenience from June 17 to June 25 for a variety of local races.
June 17 is also the final day to register to vote.
Many prominent races are between Republicans and Democrats vying to win their respective parties’ nominations for the Nov. 7 general election for City Council.
But local judgeships and district attorney seats are also on the line alongside less prominent posts depending on the party and location.
All city races will use ranked-choice voting except for party primaries for DAs, who are elected with state election rules that do not allow that process.
Nearly 50,000 New Yorkers utilized early voting last November to avoid the crowds on Election Day.
Savvy voters can do the same this time around with the right details at hand.
Voters can find early voting locations – which sometimes differ from those used in November elections – on the city Board of Elections website.
Operating hours vary by day:
| Saturday (June 17) | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sunday (June 18) | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Monday (June 19) | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Tuesday (June 20) | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Wednesday (June 21) | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Thursday (June 22) | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Friday (June 23) | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Saturday (June 24) | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sunday (June 25) | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
New Yorkers who want to still vote in the primary elections must register with the city Board of Elections in person, by mail, or online by June 17.
The redistricting process means that all 51 City Council members are running for full, four-year, terms after serving just two following the 2021 election.
But not all Council districts will have competitive primaries this year.
There are 21 competitive (mostly Democratic Party) races listed on the website of NYC Votes – an initiative by the independent New York City Campaign Finance Board – alongside information on candidate backgrounds and policy positions.
NYC Votes also has a “Plan Your Ballot” feature to examine all the choices voters have depending on where they live.
All races except for district attorneys allow voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference – or simply vote for a single person or nobody at all!
If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they are the winner. If no candidate earns more than 50% of first-choice votes, then counting will continue in rounds.
This process will continue until there are 2 candidates left. The candidate with the most votes wins.
It is likely that final results in Ranked Choice elections will not be known until all absentee and military ballots are counted, which could take several weeks after Election Day.