New York voters will be casting primary ballots in two primary elections this year. The first primary is on Tuesday, June 28^th, and determines party candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Assembly, Judges, and Party Positions. The second primary is on August 23rd and it will determine candidates for U.S. House of Representatives and New York State Senate.

Why Are There Two Primaries? District lines are redrawn every 10 years after the U.S. Census. Earlier this year, a first-of-its kind Independent Redistricting Commission — passed in 2014 as a ballot question — failed to pass a set of bipartisan maps with new districts. The state assembly maps were upheld, but the congressional and state senate district maps were rejected. State Judge Patrick McCallister of Steuben County ruled that the maps too-heavily favored Democrats and postponed the primaries until August, accounting for time to redraw the lines. To see if you have been redistricted and to see new district lines, click here.

* IMPORTANT ABSENTEE BALLOT RULE CHANGE *

Due to a recent change in the law, New York State voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have requested to vote by Absentee Ballot. Voters who have requested to vote by Absentee Ballot can still vote in-person using an Affidavit ballot at early voting or election day poll sites. For more information on this, there was a brief news story on this in the Gothamist.

 

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR THE PRIMARY:

Early Voting

Early Voting will begin on Saturday, June 18 and run until Sunday, June 26. To find your early voting and/or Election Day polling location, CLICK HERE. Your early voting site may be different from your Election Day poll site, so make sure to check before you go. Hours vary by day, so please plan ahead. Also, your early voting location may have changed from past elections, so verify your location before going.

ABSENTEE VOTING: Requesting a Mail-in Ballot

The online portal to request an absentee ballot and/or a downloadable application form to mail-in can be found here. If you need to request an Accessible Ballot, click here. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail is June 13th, though we recommend submitting your request before the deadline.

• Track the status of the absentee ballot you requested here. (The system updates every 24 hours and applications may take up to 72 hours to appear.)
• Please call 1-866-868-3692 or email AbsenteeHelp@boe.nyc with questions. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
• If you don’t feel comfortable mailing your ballot, or can’t drop it off in-person, Invisible Hands volunteers will deliver your ballot for free! Click here to request a volunteer.