Everything you need to know about New York’s primary election

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Get ready to vote, New Yorkers: Today, September 13, is the day for the state’s primary election. This is the lead-up to the New York state general election, taking place on November 6.

There are several key races to know, but the most important—and the one that’s gotten the biggest share of pre-election ink—is the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Governor Andrew Cuomo is being challenged by actor and activist Cynthia Nixon, who has positioned herself as a more progressive alternative to the incumbent. The winner of that race—widely projected to be Cuomo—will ultimately face off against Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro in November’s general election.

But that’s not the only race you need to know: There are also a bunch of Democratic primaries happening to decide who will run for lieutenant governor, state attorney general, and several seats in the New York state assembly. There are fewer Republican primaries, simply because there are fewer challengers (there’s only one Republican running for the attorney general seat, for example).

With all that in mind, we present this guide to the New York state primaries—from when and how to vote, to the races you need to know about. (Of note: This is a closed primary, so if you’re not a registered Democrat or Republican, you’re out of luck until the general election.)

When to vote

Though elections are typically held on Tuesdays, this year’s primary election will take place on Thursday, September 13, after Cuomo signed a bill to move the date back two days. Why the switch? The previously announced date—September 11—would not only conflict with the end of Rosh Hashanah, but would also present a conflict for those who may be commemorating the 17th anniversary of 9/11.

Polling spots will open at 6 a.m. in New York City, and close at 9 p.m., giving residents plenty of time to turn out. (And it never hurts to know your rights as a voter before you get to the voting booth.)

Where to vote

To find out where you’ll vote, head to the New York state Board of Elections website—this will provide you with your party affiliation, your various representative districts, and a link to find your polling site.

If for some reason you’re not listed at the correct polling site for your address—an issue that has been reported by multiple voters—you have the right to ask for an affidavit ballot. If you have an issue with accessibility, language assistance, or anything else at your polling site, call your BOE borough office.

Photo by Craig Ruttle-Pool/Getty Images

What are the major races in this year’s primary?

Vox has a very thorough breakdown of each one, but here’s the TL;DR version:

Gubernatorial: This is the big one: Cynthia Nixon is challenging Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic ticket in the race for New York’s next governor. Nixon has positioned herself as a more progressive alternative to Cuomo, challenging his record on issues like transit (#CuomosMTA, anyone?), housing (she’s backing a universal rent control platform for the state), health care (she supports a single-payer plan), and criminal justice. She’s picked up the endorsement of several progressive advocacy groups, the Working Families Party, City Council members Antonio Reynoso and Jimmy Van Bramer (among others), and more.

Cuomo, meanwhile, is running on his record of “proven leadership” over the past seven years in New York, citing accomplishments like the passage of marriage equality in 2011, and securing a $15 minimum wage. He’s gotten the endorsement of major Democratic players—including Hillary Clinton, sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, City Council speaker Corey Johnson, and many more members of the council—along with a number of labor unions, the New York Times, Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign, and more.

On the Republican side, Marc Molinaro, who currently serves as the Dutchess County executive, is the only candidate in the running.

Lieutenant governor: Incumbent Kathy Hochul is facing off against challenger Jumaane Williams, who currently represents the 45th district in New York’s City Council. Williams has pitched himself as a more progressive candidate, and has campaigned with Nixon on issues like reforming the criminal justice system and universal rent control. If Williams did win, Cuomo would have to run with someone who “could be a thorn in the governor’s side as an in-house critic,” as the New York Post put it.

Attorney general: There are four democratic contenders for attorney general: Leecia Eve, a lawyer who currently sits on the Port Authority Board of Commissioners; New York City public advocate Letitia James; Sean Patrick Maloney, the representative for New York’s 18th Congressional district; and Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor who ran against Cuomo in the 2014 Democratic gubernatorial primary. Teachout has been endorsed by the Times and Cynthia Nixon; James has picked up endorsements from Cuomo, along with many city and state pols.

State legislature: There are multiple candidates who are challenging incumbent candidates in both the New York state Senate and Assembly.

On the Senate side, some of the challengers are taking on incumbents who previously counted themselves as members of the Independent Democratic Conference, a group of registered Democrats who caucused separately from the rest of their party. This move effectively gave Republicans control of the New York state senate.

Among those challengers are Zellnor Myrie, running against former IDC member Jesse Hamilton for the 20th district seat (parts of Brooklyn, including Crown Heights and Sunset Park); former comptroller John Liu, running for Tony Avella’s seat in the 11th district (parts of Queens, including Whitestone and College Point); and Alessandra Biaggi, who’s battling Jeffrey Klein for the 34th district seat (parts of the Bronx, including Morris Park and Riverdale).

The lone Democrat who still caucuses with Republicans, Simcha Felder, is facing his own challenge for his district—17, covering parts of Brooklyn like Borough Park and Midwood—from Blake Morris, a Brooklyn attorney.

Ballotpedia has an extremely thorough guide to every legislative primary, including endorsements for each of the candidates.

What to do with your phone while you’re voting

Put it away! As ridiculous as this particular rule may seem, it is a rule nonetheless: selfies in the ballot booth are verboten. Save the selfie for later, once you’ve gotten your cool ”I voted!” sticker and won’t run afoul of the law.