A volunteer sets up a voter registration station. (Getty)
New York voters go to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the presidential race, along with the state’s U.S. Senate seats, its U.S. House seats, and its state House and Senate seats.
Here’s what you need to know as you head to the polls in New York:
POLLING HOURS & LOCATIONS: Polling locations will be open from 6:00am until 9:00pm on Election Day. Voters will still be entitled to vote if they are standing in line when the polls close at 9:00pm. Voters who have cast ballots in New York previously are NOT required to show identification, but new voters are asked to provide proof of address. More details on the requirements can be found here. There are two ways to find out what polling place you should use to vote on Election Day. First, you can search for your polling location by address at the state Board of Elections website here. Second, if you are not able to find your polling place using the Board of Elections website, you can find and contact your county Board of Elections office here.
REGISTRATION GUIDELINES: To be eligible to vote in the state of New York you must meet a set of criteria found here, and you must also be registered to vote. The deadline for voter registration was October 14 and it is not possible to register to vote on election day. You can confirm your voter registration status using this link. More information about eligibility, registration, and the voting process in New York can be found here.
TRACKING RESULTS: On Election Day the website for the New York State Board of Elections will begin posting unofficial results here after the polls close at 9:00pm.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN FEDERAL RACES: New York has 29 electoral votes and is considered a solidly blue state in the presidential election, with the majority of historical contests going to Democratic candidates. Democratic candidates for president have won the state in all contests since 2000. In a comparison of numerous polls by The New York Times the state is confidently in Clinton’s favor. The U.S. Senate race in New York is also strongly predicted to favor the Democratic candidate; incumbent Senator Chuck Schumer is defending his seat against Republican challenger Wendy Long, with the latest Huffington Post Pollster averages showing Schumer with a significant lead of more than forty points. There will be 27 candidates up for election to represent New York in the U.S. House of Representatives, one representing each of the state’s congressional districts. Currently Democrats hold 18 of the 27 total seats, while Republicans hold only nine seats. For a full list of representatives on the ballot in New York click here.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN STATE RACES: Control of government is divided in the state of New York, with Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives along with holding the governorship. In the state Senate, Republicans and Democrats each hold 31 of 63 total seats (with one current vacancy), and all seats are up for election this fall. In the state House of Representatives all seats are up for election, with Democrats holding 105 of 150 total seats (with three current vacancies). Democrat Andrew Cuomo has served as Governor of New York since 2011 and the next gubernatorial election will take place in 2018.