Deadline Is Friday To Register To Vote In NY's First Primary

NEW YORK — New York residents head to the polls June 28 for the state's first primary in the 2022 election, covering races for governor, lieutenant governor, some local offices and — probably —State Assembly. The primaries for Congress and State Senate were moved to Aug. 23, due to the court fight over redistricting.

If you want to register to vote in the June primary, Friday's the deadline to either register in person or postmark an application. You can register in person at your county board of elections or at any New York State Agency-Based voter registration center.

Another deadline for the June 28 primary is also coming up fast: changing your address. If they're received by June 8, a county board of elections must get notices of change of address from registered voters processed in time for the June 28 primary.

Then there are absentee ballots. If you're going the absentee route for the June primary, June 13 is the deadline for your board of elections to receive your application or letter of application by mail, email or fax for an absentee ballot to be sent to you. The last day to postmark or deliver an absentee ballot is June 28.

Early voting in the June primary is June 18-26.

The winners will secure their party's nomination for those races in the general election, which takes place Nov. 8.

There is still a lawsuit pending over the new State Assembly districts, and a request to have that primary also moved to Aug. 23.

In May, the state's top appeals court agreed the new Democratic-drawn congressional and state Senate maps were gerrymandered, ruled they were unconstitutional and literally sent them back to the drawing board.

However, the new state Assembly map was excluded from the original lawsuit on a technicality.

Trying to also have the Assembly redistricting also invalidated, Democrats Paul Nichols and Gary Greenberg and Gavin Wax, president of the New York Young Republican Club, continue their quest (denied by two lower courts, they are now before the New York Court of Appeals).

The special election to fill the last four months of Rep. Antonio Delgado's term in Congress is also Aug. 23. Delgado left Congress in May to become New York's lieutenant governor after Brian Benjamin resigned. So while the special election will concern the current District 19, the primary will be about the new District 19.