People vote in Manhattan during the 2018 midterm elections.

Primary Election 2020 — What You Need to Know

Primary voting ends June 23. Here’s how to cast a ballot, who’s running and how key races are shaping up in our first pandemic primary.

Contributors: City Staff

New York’s 2020 primary elections are ending with in-person voting on June 23. The contests offer crowded fields in an era of social distancing.

More people than ever have requested absentee ballots as they plan to vote remotely. Meanwhile, measures to keep people safely apart at the polls are already underway at early-voting sites — from plexiglas shields at polling tables to ballot-marking pens voters get to keep.

The city’s first pandemic election isn’t lacking for races.

A total of 51 state and federal primary contests are set to take place within the five boroughs on June 23, according to a tally from the city’s Campaign Finance Board. In addition, ballots for some will include a contentious battle for Queens borough president and plenty of contests for state district leader spots.

THE CITY is committed to ongoing coverage, collected here.

21 Total Updates Since
July 15, 2019 04:00 AM

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How Brooklyn Assembly Insurgents Rode Absentee Ballots to Upset Victories

By Claudia Irizarry Aponte

Longtime power players lose to grassroots groundswell, despite heavy campaign spending. The shakeup angered establishment pols — one blamed a “gentrification movement.”
Wary Candidates Brace for Brutal Absentee Ballot Challenges in Record-Size Count

By Claudia Irizarry Aponte

Rep. Yvette Clarke is latest among legions suing to establish the right to challenge opponents’ votes in a pile of 380,000 mailed in citywide amid New York’s first pandemic primary.
Primary Marred by Missing Ballots and Busted Machines, Voters Say

By Christine Chung and Claudia Irizarry Aponte

Final day of voting yields frustrations as many say they never got absentee ballots and others reported confusion at the polls.
Brooklyn Assembly Hopeful Assails Incumbent as “All Lives Matter” Candidate in Bitter Pre-Primary Video

By Clifford Michel

Ex-Sen. Jesse Hamilton hurls charged term at Assembly’s Diana Richardson as he tries to win back voters who rejected him over GOP ties. The primary is Tuesday.
Absentee Ballots on Express Track, Election Officials Vow, as Early Votes Trickle In

By Christine Chung and Carson Kessler

Board of Elections says nine in 10 city primary voters have been sent their envelopes — but early visitors to the polls say they prefer to cast ballots in person.
Primary Day Is Next Week. Here Are Key Contests to Watch in New York City.

By Clifford Michel Claudia Irizarry Aponte and 4 more

Dozens of races will be on the ballot in the five boroughs on June 23, including 11 Congressional contests. Just tuning in? Here’s what you need to know
NYC Voters Wait — and Wait — for Absentee Ballots From Backlogged Board of Elections

By Christine Chung

Many city residents who’ve asked to vote by mail in the June 23 primary have not yet received a ballot — spurring civic groups to promote pandemic plans B and C.
Chaim Deutsch Scorches Earth in Stealth Campaign to Topple Rep. Yvette Clarke

By Clifford Michel

The Brooklyn City Council member circulates apocalyptic video blaming current leaders for New York’s coronavirus and George Floyd protest upheavals.
What You Need to Know to Vote in New York’s June Primary

By Rachel Holliday Smith

Are we going to the polls? How can you get an absentee ballot? What’s up with the presidential race? We answer your questions about the June 23 vote.
Candidates and Democratic Groups Call for an End to Ballot Petition Challenges

By Clifford Michel

Opposition challenges to the signatures primary candidates are politics as usual in NYC. But some say they should be suspended during the pandemic.