Voters' Guide to New York City Elections

Public Offices That Appears on New York City Ballots
Public Partisan Offices
  • President and Vice President of the United States
  • United States Senators
  • Members of the House of Representatives
  • Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York State
  • State Attorney General
  • State Comptroller
  • State Senators
  • State Assembly
  • Mayor of New York City
  • Public Advocate
  • City Comptroller
  • Borough Presidents
  • City Council Members
  • District Attorneys
  • Surrogate Judges
  • State Supreme Court Judges
  • Civil Court Judges

Non-Partisan Offices
  • Members of Community School Board
  • Special Elections to fill City Council vacancies

Election Schedule
Primaries for partisan offices are held in September, with General Elections in November. In Presidential election years, a Presidential Primary Election is held in March. The Community School Board Elections are held every three (3) years in May.


Primary and General Elections
Primary Elections are held so that voters registered with a qualified political party may select their party's nominees to the general election for partisan offices. Because a primary is a party election, only voters registered with one of the parties qualified to conduct a primary in New York City may vote in their party's primary.

General Elections are held to elect candidates to public offices. For partisan offices, nominees from the party primary elections appear on the ballot, along with independent candidates.


Proposals and Referendum Measures
The State Legislature and/ or City Council can place Proposals, Questions, and Referendum measures on the ballot for New York City voters to adopt a change in the State Constitution, change a law or approve the expenditure of funds without legislative actions. In addition, a Measure can be placed on the ballot if it meets certain legal requirements and if proponents show public support by collecting signatures of at least five percent (5%) of the city's registered voters.


School Board Elections
School Board Elections are held in New York City every three (3) years, at which time nine (9) member Community School Boards are chosen in all 32 Community School Districts. The nine member Boards are responsible for running the elementary through junior high schools (grades Pre K - 8) in their districts.

You may vote in this election if you are:
  1. a registered voter
  2. a parent or guardian of a child attending a Public School. (Note: U.S. citizenship is not required in this election.)
If your child attends a school outside of the district you live in, you may register as a parent voter in the district where your child attends school.

 

 

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