As part of our mission to strengthen community, the Y promotes civic engagement in various forms. Each year we partner with community organizations for National Voter Registration Day and to host voter registration and education at events like Healthy Kids Day. In addition to ongoing teen programming such as Teens Take the City, we have hosted special civic engagement forums for teens. Our New Americans Initiative provides citizenship preparation and has hosted citizenship drives. The Y has also worked with partners to host multilingual webinars on Ranked Choice Voting, and we engaged in extensive outreach around the 2020 Census.
Key Primary Election Dates for NYC Voters
- February 14: Deadline to change your political party (use voter registration form)
- June 12: Absentee ballot online request deadline (apply for an absentee ballot)
- June 17: Deadline to register or update your address for primary election (register)
- June 17: Early voting starts (find your Early Voting and Primary Election Day polling sites)
- June 25: Early voting ends
- June 27: Absentee ballot postmark deadline
- June 27: Primary Election Day! (find your Early Voting and Primary Election Day polling sites)
Several YMCA of Greater New York branches will host early voting or Primary Election Day voting. See below for more information on polling sites, dates, and hours.
Understanding Ranked Choice Voting
In municipal elections (like City Council, Mayor, etc.) the June primaries and any special elections offer Ranked Choice Voting, in which voters can choose their top 5 candidates instead of only voting for one. Learn more about RCV with the following resources:
- 1-Minute Video: How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work?
- 2-Minute Video: What Do I Need to Know?
- NYC Votes Ranked Choice Voting Webinars on April 12, May 17, & June 14 from 6-7pm
- Multilingual Explainers
- Ranked Choice Voting Info and FAQs
- Sample RCV Rounds & Results
- YMCA recorded webinars on Ranked Choice Voting in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and Haitian Creole
Early Voting
The Northeast Bronx, Park Slope Armory and Rockaway Ys will host early voting during the following days and times:
- Saturday, June 17, 2023: 9 AM - 5 PM
- Sunday, June 18, 2023: 9 AM - 5 PM
- Monday, June 19, 2023: 9 AM - 5 PM
- Tuesday, June 20, 2023: 8 AM - 4 PM
- Wednesday, June 21, 2023: 10 AM - 8 PM
- Thursday, June 22, 2023: 10 AM - 8 PM
- Friday, June 23, 2023: 8 AM - 4 PM
- Saturday, June 24, 2023: 9 AM - 5 PM
- Sunday, June 25, 2023: 9 AM - 5 PM
Primary Election Day Voting
On Tuesday, June 27, seven YMCA branches will host voting from 6 AM - 9 PM:
- Bedford-Stuyvesant
- Dodge
- Flatbush
- Park Slope Armory
- Prospect Park
- Ridgewood
- Rockaway
Make your voice heard and vote! Find your Early Voting and Election Day polling site.
Other Resources for Voters / Voter Education
- Check if your district has changed
- Register to Vote
- Apply for an Absentee Ballot (Due to the pandemic, anyone in NY can request an absentee ballot by checking off “temporary illness.”)
- Absentee Tracker for NYC
- Poll Site Locator for NYC
- Know Your Rights