Early voting starts for New York primaries

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Early voting for primary day in New York on June 25 starts Saturday, June 15, and ends Sunday, June 23. Saturday is also the deadline to register to vote or request a mail-in ballot.

Because the deadline overlaps with the first day of early voting, June 15 is the one day that you can register and vote at the same time, so long as you're voting in person and you're unregistered to vote in the state. Look up your voter registration status online with the Board of Elections. You can also find your in-person early voting site there.

Looking up your voter registration online will be particularly helpful for New Yorkers in newly-drawn congressional districts that took shape this year. Primary day includes races for congressmembers, state senators, assemblymembers, and judges.

If you are not registered or recently moved, you can register online or update your registration, too. The Board of Elections must receive any mailed-in or in-person registration application no later than Saturday to be eligible to vote in the primary. But, according to New York's Board of Elections, several counties are not holding primaries:

And remember, primaries select party nominees, so New York's closed primary status means you can't participate if you're unaffiliated or registered as an independent voter.

• Only enrolled Democrats can vote in Democratic primaries
• Only enrolled Republicans can vote in Republican primaries
• Only enrolled Conservatives can vote in Conservative primaries
• Only enrolled Working Families voters can vote in Working Families primaries

If not already in a political party, or you want to vote for another party, it's too late; the deadline to enroll or change enrollment was February 14. But, if you just turned 18 or relocated from another state—or otherwise newly registering to vote—new party enrollment can be included, so you can still participate.

The final election result must include absentee and mail-in ballots, which must be postmarked no later than June 25 and received as of July 2. Whichever candidate gets the most votes wins, even if they didn't get the majority (50%).

State leaders implemented an election protection hotline—(866) 390-2992—to help solve problems faced when voting absentee, by mail, or in person on primary day. “Access to the ballot box is the foundational right of our democracy,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a written statement announcing that the hotline would be open for early voting.

Calling the hotline can answer your questions or let you report voter intimidation or obstruction. You can submit a complaint online instead if you'd rather not call. For the most part, you don't need an ID to vote in New York, except for some first-time voters.

Voting for the presidential primaries in New York took place on April 2.