Early Voting Starts on Saturday, Continues to Sunday, June 20

 By Yehudit Garmaise

     New Yorkers are starting to head to the polls tomorrow when early voting begins and continues until June 20.

     In addition to writing in five preferences for mayor in the city's debut of ranked-choice voting, voters will also cast their votes for city council, borough president, public advocate, and comptroller.

     The hours of early voting vary by day and are as follows: Sunday, June 13: 8am to 5pm, Monday, June 14: 7am to 4pm, Tuesday, June 15: 10am to 8pm, Wednesday, June 16: 10am to 8pm, Thursday, June 17, 10am to 8pm, Friday, June 18: 7am to 4pm, and Sunday, June 20: 8am to 4pm.

     June 22 is Election Day.

     Yoel Rosenfeld said that before heading to the polls, Boro Parkers should think very carefully about not just their favorite candidates for mayor, but the order of their preferences for five candidates for mayor.

     “Ranked-choice voting gives voters the opportunity to rank second and third choices, who may not be their ideal candidates, may be far better than other candidates, who are definitely not preferred for our community,” said Mr. Chaskell Bennett, a co-founder of the Flatbush Jewish Community Council and a member of the board of Agudah Israel of America. “It is thus crucial to list your extra choices in case your Number One candidate falls short.”

     “Ranked-choice voting gives people more power,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday. “It means your vote takes on more meaning: that if your first-choice vote doesn't succeed, your second, third, fourth, fifth place vote still could have an impact.”

      Voters, of course, must be registered to vote in the same parties as the mayoral primaries in which they would like vote. Of course, only registered Democrats can vote for in the Democratic primary, and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.

      Also, voters cannot just show up at any of the city’s 104 early voting location sites across the city. But again, you can’t just show up anywhere. Voters are assigned to specific polling places, which readers can find by entering their ZIP codes online.

       June 15 is the last day for New Yorkers to request absentee ballots, and June 22 is the last day to postmark or deliver primary ballots in person.

      As long as they do not also send in their absentee ballots, New Yorkers who might have requested absentee ballots, but then decide to vote in person, may go to the polls during early voting or on Primary Day on June 22.