2025 Primary: What you need to know before voting

With early voting already underway and Primary Day approaching on Tuesday, June 24, New Yorkers have an important opportunity to shape the city’s future by casting their ballots in critical local races. Here’s what voters need to know before heading to the polls.

Who can vote?

New York is a closed primary state, meaning only voters registered with a political party can vote in that party’s primary. To check your registration status and party affiliation, visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

Key dates

• Early voting runs through Sunday, June 22. To find your early voting site, visit vote.nyc.
• Election Day is Tuesday, June 24, with polls open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You must vote at your assigned polling location. To find your polling site, visit vote.nyc.
• If voting by early mail or absentee ballot, your ballot must be returned by 9 p.m. on June 24 to your local poll site or Board of Elections office.

Who’s on the ballot?

Voters will weigh in on races for:

• Mayor
• City Comptroller
• Public Advocate
• Borough Presidents
• City Council Members

Some ballots may also include contests for civil court judges, district attorney (in Manhattan), judicial delegates, and party district leaders.

To preview your personalized ballot, visit the NYC Board of Elections or vote411.org.

How ranked-choice voting works

This year’s primary continues the city’s ranked-choice voting (RCV) system for city offices. Voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. You may rank just one, but ranking more does not hurt your top choice.

If a candidate receives over 50% of first-choice votes, they win. If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes go to the next-ranked candidate on those ballots. This process repeats until a candidate surpasses 50%.

Note: RCV only applies to races for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President and City Council. It does not apply to state positions like judges or district attorneys.

Final results may take time. The Board of Elections won’t begin RCV tabulations until at least one week after Election Day to allow all eligible ballots to be counted.

How to prepare for voting

• Review sample ballots and candidate platforms at nycvotes.org.
• Know your voting location: vote.nyc
• Understand your voting options: nycvotes.org/how-to-vote

Whether you’re voting early, by mail, or on June 24, informed participation is key to building the leadership that reflects your priorities. Go vote!