Election Day Guide: Where To Vote, When To Vote & What To Do If You Have Trouble Voting
Tuesday, November 4 is Election Day, and we can all feel it in the air…that familiar lack of excitement we wish wasn’t there but can’t seem to shake. While our area has historically had some of the higher turnout rates in the city (at least when there’s a mayoral election), convincing people to turn up when most races are “noncompetitive” or were “decided in the primary” is a tough sell.
But, there are plenty of good reasons to show up at the polls, which will be open from 6am to 9pm, so get out there and have a say in our political system!
Here are some of the things you should know before casting your vote:
• Find out where your polling site is with this locator.
• Enter your address to see a sample ballot here. City- and statewide races include governor and lieutenant governor, state comptroller, NYC attorney general, and judges, and locally you’ll be choosing a member of Congress, a state senator, and an assembly member. The New York City Campaign Finance Board has a voter guide, as well as a mobile app that will give you info about your candidates and help you find your poll site.
• There will be three ballot proposals this year, covering redistricting procedures, allowing electronic distribution of state legislative bills, and a measure that would allocate up to $2 billion to provide classroom technology and add pre-K classroom space. Gothamist has a look at those in plain language, as does the Gotham Gazette.
• Got a concern about your rights at the polling site? Here are some FAQs about issues you might encounter.
• If you find barriers to voting, you can call the Brooklyn Board of Elections at (718) 797-8800.
And, if you’d like to ask some of the candidates any last minute questions, several of them will be greeting the public at the Flatbush Avenue/Brooklyn College subway station (Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues) around 5:30pm tonight, including state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (a Democrat who is being challenged by Republican John Cahill, the former chief of staff to former Gov. George Pataki), U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (who faces Conservative candidate Daniel Cavanagh for her seat representing the 9th Congressional District), and state Sen. Kevin Parker (who is being challenged by Conservative candidate Herman Hall for the state’s 21st Senate District).
If you have any questions, visit the Board of Elections FAQ page, or contact them directly at 1-866-868-3692.
Plus, if you encounter any problems at the polls, or have other Election Day observations you’d like to share, you can email us at editor@ditmasparkcorner.com.
Additional reporting by Avi Glickstein.