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Today marks the first of nine days of early voting for the August 23rd primary, the second election this summer thanks to a fractious redistricting process early this year. This time, state Senate and congressional primaries will be on the ballot.

Not every state Senate or congressional district faces a competitive primary election, but there are some races that New Yorkers are paying extra attention to.

Gothamist boiled down your voting essentials with this handy checklist.

How long does early voting run?

Early voting begins today and runs for nine days, ending on Sunday, August 21st, two days before the primary. Early voting was first implemented in 2019 after the state Legislature passed a measure earlier that year. The hope was to help boost voter turnout, which is often poor across the state.

How can I find out where to vote?

The New York City Board of Elections website has a section where you can check where to vote (click here). Beware: your early voting site might differ from your regular poll site, so it makes sense to confirm. You might also want to check your voter registration in advance on the state Board of Election website here. Please note: there is only one voting site you’re assigned to.

What are the hours?

The hours vary throughout the nine-day period. The dates and times can be found below, courtesy of the city Board of Elections.

• August 13th: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• August 14th: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• August 15th: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• August 16th: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• August 17th: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• August 18th: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• August 19th: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• August 20th: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• August 21st: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Who’s on the ballot this time around?

There are 13 individual races for the state Senate in New York City – 12 Democratic races and one Republican race – on the ballot. And there are several congressional races on the ballot, too, with the 10th and 12th congressional district races grabbing the most attention.

To familiarize yourself with what will be on your ballot, check out this sample ballot that the Board of Elections generates when you type in your address.

How can I get to know the candidates?

For the big races in this cycle, we’ve put together guides about who’s on the ballot and what the issues are:

• Meet NY’s 10th congressional district candidates
• Meet the candidates for NYC’s 12th Congressional District race
• NY Senate Voter’s Guide: What to know about the 2022 NYC primaries

An analysis of the first televised debate for the 12th congressional district co-hosted by WNYC and Spectrum News/NY1 can be found here and the 10th congressional district can be found here.

Don’t see a candidate you want to get to know? NYC Votes has this handy guide that lets you meet the candidates.

What if I’m tied up during early voting or the day of the primary? Can I apply for an absentee ballot?

You can only apply for an absentee ballot in person until August 22nd. If you want to apply for an absentee ballot online, the deadline has already passed. If you already got the absentee ballot, you simply have to return it to the local Board of Elections office or mail it by August 23rd (a postmark should appear showing the date). Ballots must be received by August 30th. Typical reasons voters ask for absentee ballots include: they know they’ll be away on primary day, they have a permanent illness or disability, or they are incarcerated for a crime that wasn’t deemed a felony, to name a few.

After this primary is over, what then?

Voters won’t have to worry about casting another ballot until early voting for the November 8th general election. Be sure to come back.