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New York, it’s time to head back to the polls.
On Tuesday, June 26, the 2018 federal primaries will be held, the city’s first set of national elections since Donald Trump won the presidency in November 2016. New Yorkers will have the opportunity to select their party's nominees for Congressional and Senate seats. The city held its own run of municipal elections last year, in which Mayor Bill de Blasio secured a second term. The main takeaway from those contests wasn't the winners, though—it was the abysmally low voter turnout. The general municipal election in November saw just a voter turnout rate of just 24 percent. The municipal primaries two months prior? A dismal 14 percent of registered voters showed up.
There’s just as much at stake for New Yorkers in the upcoming election cycle. Several Congressional seats in the city and surrounding areas are projected to be more competitive than they’ve been in recent years. Here's what you need to know about Tuesday’s federal primaries in New York City.
When are the polls open?
Throughout New York City (as well as Dutchess, Nassau, Suffolk and Weschester counties), the polls will open at 6am and close at 9pm.
How can I locate my polling place?
The New York State Board of Elections has a very handy tool that provides voters with their polling place locations. Find it right here.
Can I still register to vote?
Unfortunately not. The deadline to register to vote for the federal primaries in New York State was Friday, June 1. There's still time to register to vote for the September 13 state and local primary elections (the deadline for those is August 19). If you're not sure whether or not you're registered, the New York State Board of Election again has your back.
Which races should I keep an eye on?
New York City and a nearby county have some very intriguing races taking place on Tuesday, the most notable of which is taking place in the 11th Congressional District, which encompasses all of Staten Island and parts of south Brooklyn. On the Republican side, incumbent Dan Donovan is facing off against Michael Grimm, who preceded him but was forced to vacate his seat in 2015 when he was sentenced to eight months in prison for tax fraud. A group of six Democrats are running on the other side of the ticket in the same district. The frontrunner in that race is Max Rose, an Army veteran who Democrats are hoping will be able to flip the district this fall.
Another Republican seat in the area that has a chance to flip is Long Island's Second Congressional District, which is currently held by Peter King. A pair of Democrats—Suffolk County Legislature presiding officer DuWayne Gregory and longtime Congressional candidate Liuba Grechen Shirley—are hoping to use King's close alignment with President Trump to convince voters to cross party lines. Gregory contested King's seat in 2016 and lost in a landslide.
Two other races within New York City limits are definitely worth looking out for. The first is the 12th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of north Brooklyn, Queens and a chunk of Manhattan’s East Side, where longtime Democratic incumbent Carolyn Maloney is in the middle of a surprisingly tight race against former Obama staffer Suraj Patel. The other is the 14th District (Queens and the Bronx), where another Democratic incumbent, Joe Crowley, is facing an upstart campaign. Crowley is the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and a major player in the party. On Tuesday, he'll be facing off against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old who's being hyped as the future of the Democratic party.
What about that race between Cynthia Nixon and Governor Andrew Cuomo?
You've still got time for that one. That's a part of the state municipal primaries, which are slated for September 13.
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