The New York Primary Is Tomorrow. Here’s What You Need To Know

For the first time in decades, the New York presidential primaries, held Tuesday, April 19, are of enormous importance in the nominating contests for both parties.

On the Democratic ticket, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is hoping that a “yuuge” come-from-behind victory will upend the narrative that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, is the party’s inevitable candidate. Meanwhile, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is expecting a landslide victory in his home state. However, his GOP opponents Ted Cruz and John Kasich are hoping to scoop up some of New York’s delegates in order to push the party to a contested convention this summer.

That means New Yorker’s votes are tremendously consequential in this year’s presidential race. Also, residents in New York’s 59th Assembly District, which includes Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Canarsie, and a sliver of Sheepshead Bay, will be voting on a candidate to fill the seat vacated by Roxanne Persaud, who moved to the senate last year.

Persaud’s former chief of staff Jaime Williams is running for the Assembly seat on the Democratic ticket against Republican rival Jeffrey Ferretti, who campaigned unsuccessfully against Persaud last year to represent the 19th Senate District.

New York’s polls are open from 6am to 9pm. You will need to have registered as either a Democrat or Republican to vote in the party’s primary. To find your polling station and look at a sample ballot, please visit this website, put together by Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Happy voting!