It’s the election before the election. In primary elections, you decide which candidate will be your party’s nominee for the general election.
When do primaries happen?
- When more than one candidate wants a party’s nomination.
Who can vote in a primary election?
- You must be registered with a political party to vote in a primary election.
What happens when a candidate wins a primary election?
- The winner of a primary election runs as that party’s nominee in the general election held in November.
How many candidates can I vote for?
In primary elections for city offices, NYC uses Ranked Choice Voting. That means you can rank up to 5 candidates in order of preference instead of choosing just 1.
In all other primary elections (like for President), you can only vote for one candidate.
