On Tuesday September 9th, 2014 registered voters in New York will head to the polls for the Primary Election. Citizens Union’s Voters Directory helps voters by providing a comprehensive overview of the 2014 party primary elections, including voting and registration information and listings of every contest for all races on the ballot.
Our past preference and endorsement decisions are also available.
Have questions about voting and registration?
RACES FOR STATE LEGISLATURE – NEW YORK CITY
Bronx Democratic Primaries -Senate
Senate District 33 – Gustavo Rivera* preferred over Fernando Cabrera
Senate District 34 – Jeffrey D. Klein* preferred over G. Oliver Koppell
Bronx Democratic Primaries – Assembly
Assembly District 79 – Michael Blake preferred over Raul Rodriguez
Senate District 19 – Dell Smitherman preferred over Sean K. Henry
Senate District 20 – Rubain Durancy preferred over Jesse Hamilton
Brooklyn Democratic Primaries – Assembly
Assembly District 52 – Jo Anne Simon preferred over Pete Sikora
Assembly District 54 – Kim Council preferred over Erik Martin Dilan
Assembly District 55 – Latrice Monique Walker preferred over Anthony Herbert
Manhattan Democratic Primaries – Senate
Senate District 31 – Robert Jackson preferred over Adriano Espaillat*
Manhattan Democratic Primaries – Assembly
Assembly District 72 – Guillermo Linares preferred
Assembly District 76 – Gus Christensen preferred over Ed Hartzog,David Menegon,Rebecca Seawright
Queens Democratic Primaries – Senate
Senate District 11 – Tony Avella* preferred over John Liu
Senate District 14 – Leroy Comrie preferred over Malcolm Smith* and Munir Avery
Senate District 16 – S.J Jung preferred over Toby Ann Stavisky*
VOTING AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION
REGISTERING TO VOTE
You are eligible to vote in municipal, federal and state elections if you are:
- 18 years of age (on the date of the election) . You can register at 17 if you will be 18 before the election; send your voter registration card in the year you turn 18 and it will be filed on your 18th birthday);
- A United States citizen; AND
- Registered to vote at least 25 days before the election.
To vote in a party primary:
- You must be a registered member of that party.
- You cannot change your party registration to vote in a primary during that same year.
- Party registration changes must be filed 25 days before the previous year’s General Election.
APPLYING FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTIONYou may vote by absentee ballot if you are:
- absent from New York City (or your county, if you live outside of New York City) on Election Day;
- ill or disabled, or serve as primary caregiver for an ill or disabled individual;
- a patient or inmate in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital; OR
- detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or are confined in prison for an offense other than a felony.
Deadlines for absentee ballot applications and submissions are as follows:
- Mail your Absentee Ballot Application or Letter of Application by Tuesday, September 2nd.
- Apply for an Absentee Ballot in Person at your local county board of elections office by Monday, September 8th.
- Mail in your Absentee Ballot with a postmark by Monday, September 8th – it also must be received by the local board of elections no later than September 16th.
- Drop off your Absentee Ballot by Tuesday, September 9th to your local board of elections office – a friend or relative can drop it off.
VOTING ON PRIMARY ELECTION DAY
Getting to the polls:
- The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, September 9th.
- Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- To find your polling site, visit nyc.pollsitelocator.com or call the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE-NYC.
Signing in at the polls:
- Once you enter the poll site, sign in with the poll worker who will give you your paper ballot.
- Under federal law, if you are disabled and choose to vote in person rather than by absentee ballot, you are entitled to assistance. You can rely on the election employees for help.
- If you are not on the voter registration list, it may be because your registration form was not received in time or was filled out incorrectly. If you believe that you are eligible to vote, you can still vote by requesting an affidavit ballot. After the election, the Board of Elections will check its records and your vote will be counted if you are indeed eligible.
Casting your ballot:
- Mark your ballot through one of two means:
- Pen: Go to a privacy booth and fill out your ballot with a pen by marking the appropriate ovals; or
- Ballot Marking Device (BMD): BMDs are mandated to be available at each polling location for those who are in need of assistance. Any voter, including voters with disabilities, may use the BMD to view or listen to the ballot in any of the required languages for that poll site (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean or Bengali). Voters may use the BMD to complete a paper ballot independently and privately on Election Day by using its ATM-style touch screen, Braille-enhanced keypad, sip and puff device or its rocker paddle.
- Place your ballot in the privacy sleeve, proceed to the scanner area, and insert the marked ballot into the scanner to cast your vote. Your ballot can be inserted in any direction. You can choose to insert the ballot yourself rather than by a poll worker, if preferred.
- Your ballot will be counted after it is inserted into the electronic scanner. The scanner will then be used to count the votes after the polling place has closed at the end of Election Day. You should notice the tally of the number of ballots receive increase after your ballot has been scanned. A bin attached to the scanner will capture and keep the paper ballots as a record of all votes.
- If you make a mistake you can request a new ballot. If you mark your ballot incorrectly by marking more choices for one contest than you are supposed to, the scanner will notify you of an “overvote.” To have your vote count, you must obtain a new ballot and mark your choices correctly before submitting your ballot.
LINKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Campaign contributions
Candidates and issues
Incumbent records