Who’s running, where to vote, and more: Brooklyn’s guide to the 2025 Primary ElectionWho’s running, where to vote, and more: Brooklyn’s guide to the 2025 Primary Election • Brooklyn Paper

New York City’s 2025 Primary Election is less than two weeks away, and it’s a big one.

The Democratic mayoral primary has dominated the headlines, but Brooklynites will also be casting their votes for Comptroller and Public Advocate. Candidates for Brooklyn Borough President, Civil Court judge, and City Council will appear on the ballot, too. This election will employ the relatively-new Ranked-Choice Voting system.

Brooklyn Paper has broken down the when, where, and how of voting in the primary.

Voter registration and voting absentee

New York City’s primaries are closed — meaning you have to be registered with a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary. You can verify your registration on the Board of Elections website.

If you’re not registered to vote, it’s not too late — you can register in-person or by mail until June 14, and the BOE also offers online registration. Visit the BOE site for more information about all methods of registering to vote.

voting booths — There’s still time to request an absentee ballot in New York City. File photo by Lloyd Mitchell

New Yorkers living out of the city can still vote, too, by requesting an early mail ballot or an absentee ballot. Voters can apply for either ballot online by June 14, and must return their ballots by Election Day, June 24.

Be sure to note, though, that if you request an absentee or early mail ballot, you can’t vote in-person on Election Day.

Early voting and Election Day

Early voting begins on Saturday, June 14, and runs through Sunday, June 22. Hours vary — on June 14, 15, 16, 19, 21, and 22, the polls are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. On June 17 and 18, they’re open 10 a.m.-8 p.m, and on June 20, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Note that most people’s early voting sites are different from their regular polling place — and that your assigned voting site may have changed since the last election. Enter your address on the BOE website to find your early voting and Election Day poll sites and to see a sample ballot.

On Election Day, June 24, polls are open 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

What is ranked-choice voting?

Ranked-choice voting — which New Yorkers voted in overwhelming support of in 2019 — allows voters to select up to five candidates in order of preference, with #1 being their top choice and #5 their least favorite.

If one candidate receives more than 50% of the top vote in the first round of vote-counting, they win. But if no candidate wins the majority, the process continues. In each round, the lowest-ranked candidate is dropped, and their votes go to the candidates ranked second on ballots where they were the top choice. That process continues until just two candidates are left, and the one with the majority of votes wins.

voters in line in brooklyn — This year’s primary election will use ranked-choice voting. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann

In the voting booth, you can rank up to five candidates (if there are that many) for any given race, or choose as many as you wish — if only three candidates appeal to you, you can rank them in order and leave off the last two.

It’s likely to take at least a week after the Primary Election for the winners to be declared, though preliminary results will be released that night.

Who’s running?

Last but not least, who’s running for what? This list includes all contested races where more than one candidate will appear on the ballot. Note that in some races, there are only Democrats or only Republicans — not every race has a primary for both parties.