The deadline to register to vote in New York is Friday

It's time to get ready for another election cycle. New Yorkers will return to the polls on June 26 for the federal primaries, the most consequential set of elections since the general municipal elections last November.

These primaries are effectively a test run for a pair of headline-grabbing elections coming later in the year. On September 16, the statewide primaries will take place, which will decide the candidates for the governor's race (the race between Cynthia Nixon and Governor Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination has drawn a good deal of attention), the New York Attorney General race (which has blown wide open since Eric Schneiderman resigned amidst sexual harassment allegations) and a medley of other seats. And on November 6, the general election will be held, which could bring, among other things, a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.

You still have ample time to register to vote in those contests, but if you want to be an engaged citizen this June, you'll need to register to vote by Friday, June 1. There are a few ways to do this. If you have a New York State ID, you can register online via the DMV's website. If you are a transplant who hasn't secured a local ID card, you can download a form and register by mail. Those applications must be postmarked by June 1 and must be received by the board of elections by June 6. If neither of those are viable options for you, you can register in person at a Board of Elections office (there's one in each borough).

Last year, New York City saw pretty dismal levels of voter turnout. In November’s general election, just 24 percent of registered voters showed up to the polls, and in September's municipal primaries, that figure was just 14 percent. So if you're going to register to vote, be sure to show up on election day. New Yorkers are wont to complain about everything from the MTA to the inflation of pizza prices, but when so few people show up to vote, the status quo is likely to remain unchanged. 

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