What NYC voters need to know about November's election (Yes, there is one)

If democratic participation is a gift, it’s one that keeps giving and giving and giving to New York voters.

Since the last presidential election in 2020, the New York City Board of Elections has run 13 citywide and special elections. Depending on the neighborhood, that means some voters have been asked to hit polls half a dozen times.

New Yorkers are being called on to cast their ballots again next month in the upcoming Nov. 7 general elections.

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Do you have other questions about the upcoming election?

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Send us an email at tips@gothamist.com with the subject line: Election 2023.

We will do our best to find an answer and may add to this list.

All 51 of the five boroughs' City Council districts will have candidates on the ballot. Voters will also be asked to weigh in on two statewide ballot proposals, and district attorney contests in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. And depending on where you live, there might be some judicial contests.

While attention is already shifting to next year’s presidential and congressional elections, it’s not too late to get involved locally. Here’s what you need to know to participate:

NOTE: This article will be updated through Election Day. Check back for more information.

Who is eligible to vote in this election?

Any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, can cast a ballot in the upcoming election.

Not sure if you’re registered?

If you live in the five boroughs, you can quickly check if you’re registered to vote by visiting vote.nyc and clicking on the box in the center of the page that says “Am I registered?”

What if I am not registered?

If you’re not registered to vote, that’s OK you still have some time. Registration forms must be submitted by Oct. 28.

To be eligible to vote in New York City you need to meet the following requirements:

• You must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old by Election Day.
• If you’re new to the five boroughs, you need to live here for at least 30 days before casting a ballot.
• You can not be in prison for a felony conviction or judged mentally incompetent by a court.

Can I register to vote online?

Yes, finally.

There is an easy voter registration system available through the New York City Board of Elections for residents of the five boroughs.

Voters from other parts of the state can go through the New York State Board of Elections to reach their respective county elections office.

Congratulations, you’re ready to cast your ballot. Here’s what comes next.

When does voting begin?

If you can’t make it out to the polls on Nov. 7, there’s plenty of time to do it before that day — thanks to early voting.

Early voting kicks off on Oct. 28 and lasts through Nov. 5. Polls close on Monday and then reopen on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Wait, does that mean I can register and vote on the same day?

Yes, Oct. 28 is one of those Golden Days we love to talk about where you can kill two birds with one stone.

How do I find out where to vote and what’s on my ballot?

Enter your address in this poll site locator. It will show you your early voting and Election Day poll site along with a sample ballot.

It looks like my Council candidate doesn’t have an opponent. Why is this on my ballot?

Even candidates running unopposed must appear on your ballot in a general election. Voters always have the option of writing in a candidate. However, in a handful of other cases, there are very competitive contests that will give voters a chance to rehire the incumbent for another two years, or select a new representative.

One of the races Gothamist will be watching is for the 47th Council District in south Brooklyn, which runs from Fort Hamilton and parts of Bay Ridge on the west side, over a narrow few blocks north of Dyker Beach Park to parts of Bath Beach and Sea Gate on the east side.

The boundaries of this district changed a lot through that redistricting process. They changed so much that two incumbents, Justin Brannan and Ari Kagan, ended up in overlapping districts and are running against each other. But in another twist, Kagan changed parties earlier this year. So even though he was elected as a Democrat, he is running as a Republican and challenging Brannan, the Democrat.

Another race on our radar is the race for the 19th Council District, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Bayside, Bay Terrace and Whitestone. This race is a rematch between Tony Avella, a moderate to conservative Democrat, and Vickie Paladino, an outspoken Trump-backing Republican who narrowly beat Avella in 2021.

Is there more information about the two statewide ballot questions?

Yes. The two questions being placed before voters statewide have to do with debt and are complicated. But we’ve got an explainer to help streamline what they mean and why they matter.

While the ballot measures — which deal with how small cities can borrow money to make school repairs, and a separate extension for sewage treatment — don’t exactly pertain to New York City, city voters will still have to weigh in because both measures would change the state constitution.

We just elected councilmembers two years ago. Why are we voting on them again?

Council races are all on the ballot this year because of redistricting, a process that happens every 10 years to account for changes in the population. That played out last year and changed the boundaries of City Council districts based on data from the 2020 census.

The Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center created a great tool, NYC Redistricting and You, that shows how the district lines and demographics have changed, which is why it’s important for you to check where to vote because your polling site and representative may have changed.

Are there any downsides to voting so often?

An analysis by Citizens Union and others have found these off-cycle elections in odd-numbered years contribute to New York’s notoriously low voter turnout. That’s one of the reasons they are urging lawmakers to consider moving more elections to even-numbered years, to align with statewide and presidential elections, when turnout is higher.

A bill that would move certain village and county elections to even years passed the Legislature but has not yet been signed by the governor.

I don’t want to vote in person. Can I vote by mail?

Yes, but unlike the pandemic years, you only qualify to vote with an absentee ballot if you can select one of the following reasons:

• You are unable to go to the polls because of a temporary or permanent illness or disability.
• You are the caretaker of someone who is sick or disabled.
• You are a patient or resident at a Veterans Administration hospital.
• You are in jail or prison for anything other than a felony conviction. And to be clear, that means if you are in jail awaiting a grand jury but you have not been convicted of a felony, you can still vote.

If I apply for an absentee ballot, can I change my mind and decide to vote in person?

Once you request that absentee ballot, you will not be able to vote on the machine if you opt to vote in person. Instead, election officials will give you an affidavit ballot. They will only count one ballot, so if you never returned your absentee ballot, the affidavit will be counted. But if you did, the affidavit will be set aside.

What is the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot?

If you applied for an absentee ballot online or through the mail, the Board of Elections had to receive your application by Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. If you missed it, you can still go in person to your local Board of Elections office up until the day before the primary, Monday, Nov. 6.

What judicial contests are on the ballot?

There are candidates for State Supreme Court, Civil Court and Surrogate's Court on the ballot. And these elections, although less high profile, are important because the winners go on to serve long terms, usually a decade or more.

State Supreme Court candidates were nominated at judicial conventions by judicial delegates. The candidate that wins in the general election will go on to be a State Supreme Court Justice serving a 14-year term. This court has broad authority and can handle civil and criminal cases.

Meanwhile, civil court judges serve 10-year terms and can hear cases on a whole range of issues including civil disputes of up to $50,000. They can also serve on criminal and family court and often serve as acting state Supreme Court justices. These seats can be countywide or specific to a geographic area, known as a district.

Surrogate’s Court deals with matters related to wills, estates, guardianship and adoptions. In New York City, a surrogate’s court judge serves a 14-year term (outside the city, it’s just a 10-year term).

The only Surrogate’s Court judge election is in Brooklyn this year, and there is only one candidate on the ballot. This is not uncommon. Not every judicial election is competitive. But there are a handful of races this year, so it’s a good idea to take a look at your sample ballot so you know exactly what races and candidates you will be voting on before you go to your poll site.

You can find that sample ballot and your poll site information at vote.nyc.

How do these judicial candidates campaign? Where can you find out information about the candidates?

This is where it gets a little tricky.

Legally, judicial candidates can not talk about specific issues or their opponents. They can only talk about their experience and qualifications for the role.

The New York City Bar Association does review judicial candidates based on their qualifications and will either designate each candidate as “approved” or “not approved.”

“Candidates rated Approved have affirmatively demonstrated qualifications necessary for the performance of the duties of the position for which they are being considered,” according to the NYC Bar Association.

Those reviews are done by the Bar Association’s Committee on the Judiciary, so that’s at least one way to make your evaluation beyond just a party line vote.

This story was updated to include additional information about voting by mail, absentee voting and the judicial races.