New York Voter Guide: What to know for the Aug. 23 primary
New York is going back to the polls on Aug. 23 after the state’s primaries were split up by a court-ordered redrawing of the New York State Senate and House map (early voting started Aug. 13). Here’s what you need to know about an unusual primary election:
What offices are up for election?
Candidates for the House of Representatives and the state Senate will face off in the primary election.
In June, New York held its primary election for the governor’s office and for the state Assembly. (Gov. Hochul resoundingly won in the Democratic gubernatorial race, seen as this year’s most significant primary in deep-blue New York.)
Who can vote?
Only registered party members can vote in New York’s primaries. The window for independent voters to change their party identification before the primary closed Aug. 11. The deadline to register as a first-time voter in the state of New York has also passed.
What are the most-watched races?
The primary election has picked up limited attention — the November general election, with control of the House at stake, looms larger. But a handful of summer races have provided drama.
Perhaps the most attention-grabbing contest is the Democratic political deathmatch in the state’s 12th Congressional District between Rep. Carolyn Maloney, 76, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, 75, two long-time liberal lawmakers whose districts were smashed together this year.
Voters in Midtown and upper Manhattan will decide whether to send back Nadler, from the Upper West Side, or Maloney, from the Upper East Side. Suraj Patel, a 38-year-old lawyer, hopes to send them both packing but is considered a long shot.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. (left), Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D.N.Y. (center), and Suraj Patel (right) (Associated Press/)
The crowded Democratic race in the 10th District, which covers lower Manhattan and a swath of Brooklyn, has also drawn eyeballs. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the race, but quit last month, bowing to pitiful poll numbers.
In the Democratic primary in the 17th District, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is facing off against the progressive state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi for the Hudson Valley seat.
New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, D-Bronx (left) and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y. (right)
Maloney, who represents the current 18th District but lives in the new 17th District, enraged many Democrats by running for the 17th. The district is currently represented by Rep. Mondaire Jones, who moved to Brooklyn to fight for the 10th District rather than taking on Maloney.
People vote during the June Primary Election at Brooklyn Museum on June 28, 2022 in New York. (Michael M Santiago/Getty Images /)
What is the deal with mail-in ballots?
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot online was Aug. 8, but absentee ballots can be picked up in-person through Monday, according to the state Board of Elections. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than Primary Day.
Absentee voting could play a major role in some races given the timing of the primary near the height of vacation season.
Do voters need to show ID?
Voters do not need to provide identification at the ballot box if they provided identification when they registered. First-time voters may be asked for ID, though they can vote by affidavit ballot if they forget it.
What about ranked-choice voting?
Not here! Voters who recall ranking their choices for New York City mayor can fuhgeddaboudit in these races — ranked-choice is only for city elections.
