NYC Teens: Are You #VoteReady?

Text reads Are You #VoteReady? on a red background with blue and white stars.

Get the answers to the important questions:

 

When Do I Need to Vote?

Your voice matters! The next election is the Primary Election on June 25, 2024. Important: You must be registered with a political party to vote in the Primary Election.

Offices on the ballot include the New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. 
 

Important Dates and Deadlines

Mon, June 10, 2024: Deadline to Change Your Address on File with the Board of Elections

Changes of address must be received by this date to be processed by the Board of Elections ahead of the Primary Election. Find your borough Board of Elections Office.

Sat, June 15, 2024: Voter Registration Deadline and Early Mail & Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

This is the last day for the Board of Elections (BOE) to receive your voter registration application by mail or in person. Find voter registration applications here.

It is also the last day for the BOE to receive your application for an early mail ballot or absentee ballot by mail, online portal, email, or fax. Find your borough Board of Elections office.

Sat, June 15, 2024–Sun, June 23, 2024: Early Voting

Vote early in person before Election Day for the June 25 Primary Election. Find your early voting site and hours.

Mon, June 24, 2024: Early Mail & Absentee Ballot Request Deadline (in-person)

This is the last day to apply in person at the Board of Elections for early mail ballots and absentee ballots. Find your borough Board of Elections office.

Tues, June 25, 2024: Primary Election Day

Polls are open 6 AM–9 PM. Find your poll site.

June 25 is the last day to postmark your early mail ballot and absentee ballot return envelope. It is also the last day to deliver a ballot in person at the Board of Elections or drop it off at a poll site. Find your borough Board of Elections Office.

 

Why Do I Need to Vote?

Voting determines much more than just the presidency every four years; it’s crucial all year round. Your vote is decisive in local elections determining the next candidate to fill positions from Comptroller to District Attorney—in other words, who controls the money and who upholds the law.

Discover how to register to vote, your rights as a voter, and how to vote.

 

What Am I Voting For?

Primary, General, Congressional, State, and Local Elections: What Does It All Mean?!

Primary elections are held before the general election and allow voters to select the candidates who will run on each party ticket (e.g. Republican, Democratic) for the general election.

General elections are held to elect candidates to public office. To vote in a primary you must be registered with the relevant party.

Congressional elections take place every two years, and these elections determine who represents your state in Congress. They also decide which political party—Democratic or Republican—will hold a majority in each chamber of Congress for the next two years.

State and local elections happen every year and at various times throughout the year. Statewide elections determine who becomes governor and who goes to the state legislature. Local elections determine who gets appointed as judges, local officials, and mayors. Learn more about what your elected officials can do here.

Special elections don't happen often, but if they do, it's because an elected official ended their term early: perhaps they won a higher office, accepted a new job, or were expelled.

 

How Do I Vote?

Find out how to register to vote, change your party registration (or check your status), find your polling place, vote by mail, and more.

Ranked-Choice Voting: How It Works

Ranked-choice voting allows people to vote for multiple candidates in order of preference. You can now fill out the ballot saying who is your first choice, second choice, and so on up to your fifth-choice candidate for each position. Learn more about ranked-choice voting here and here.

Starting with the primary elections in June 2021, New York City has used ranked-choice voting for primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and city council. General elections continue to use plurality voting (the candidate with the most votes wins).

How to fill out your ranked-choice ballot:

  • Rank your top five candidates in order

  • Mark your favorite candidate in the first column

  • Mark the rest, in order, in their respective columns

  • Do not skip any columns 

  • Mark as many candidates as you feel comfortable ranking (up to five)

Choosing multiple candidates does not hurt your first choice, but you can select up to five candidates.

What Else is On My Ballot 

Learn about what you're voting for by researching every race and referendum on the ballot using Ballotpedia. 

 

I Can’t Vote Yet. What Can I Do?

You can do so much to get involved with elections, even if you're not of voting age yet. Here are some tips on how to get involved:  

  • Help Make a Voting Plan for Family/Friends
    If you know about who’s on the ballot, the issues they may or may not support, and polling locations, then share what you know via social media, a podcast, or blog, or by talking to your friends and family.

  • Engage with Election Candidates
    Follow and comment on election candidates' social media posts, write letters, and look for opportunities to hear them speak or ask them questions. 

  • Take a Youth Training
    NYC Votes offers hour-long workshops and trainings for teens and young adults on different topics like why is the youth vote so important, how to register people to vote, and, this year, a special session all about ranked-choice voting.

  • Use Your Skills
    You may not think it, but as a teenager, you have many skills at your fingertips to help others vote. Consider that many people don't vote because most of the information available isn't in their native language. If you're able, walk people through websites or offer to make calls on their behalf to make sure they get their  voter registration and ballots in their native language. Put that tech savvy to use and show friends and family how easy it is to register to vote online or apply for an absentee ballot. Have a license and access to a car? Offer to drive people to their polling places (taking COVID-19 precautions, of course!). 

  • Volunteer to Register People to Vote
    Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and gather experience while supporting a cause you have chosen to help. There are many organizations you can join, like Headcount or NYC Votes, which organize events (currently all virtual) to get people registered to vote. You can also organize a group of your friends to help people find out if they are registered to vote using your smartphone and the Voter Look-Up tool, or send out email blasts reminding people to vote! And check out the  Youth Vote NYC to see how you can set up a student registration voter drive at your school.

 

Check out more voter information.

This resource guide was compiled and written by Genee Bright, Adult Librarian at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, and Emma Eriksson, Young Adult Librarian at the Hunt's Point Library.