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NYC primary election guide: Queens district attorney, more races on June 25

Polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday for a few key Democratic primaries and several local judicial and party position contests.

In Queens, Democrats will elect a nominee for district attorney, who will run in the general election on Nov. 5 to fill the seat left open by Richard Brown, who died in May. 

And in one Brooklyn district, multiple Democratic candidates are challenging recently sworn in City Councilwoman Farah Louis, who won a special election in May to fill Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ seat.

All registered voters can participate in the election if they’re enrolled with the party holding the primary. There are no primaries in the Bronx.

Scroll down for more information.

How to check your voting registration status

Check what district you live in and if you’re registered and enrolled in a party at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

When to vote

Primary Day is Tuesday, June 25. Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m.

Where to vote

Polling locations can be found online at nyc.pollsitelocator.com.

The races

Queens district attorney

Six Democrats are running in the Queens district attorney primary race:

Tiffany Cabán, a public defender who has worked at New York County Defender Services and the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice

Melinda Katz, the current Queens borough president and former City Council member and state assemblymember

Gregory Lasak, a former Queens County State Supreme Court justice and Queens prosecutor

Betty Lugo, an attorney and founder of the law firm, Pacheco & Lugo, PLLC

José Nieves, a prosecutor who has worked in the office of the New York attorney general and the Kings County district attorney’s office

Mina Quinto Malik, a former special victims prosecutor in Queens, Special Counsel at the Brooklyn district attorney office and deputy attorney general of the District of Columbia

Queens City Council member Rory Lancman also will be on the ballot, but he announced on Friday that he has withdrawn from the race, citing concerns about splitting the votes in South Queens.

City Council District 45

Louis was sworn in as the City Council representative for District 45, which includes Flatbush, Midwood and other central Brooklyn neighborhoods, after winning a special election in May to fill Williams’ seat. She will serve on the council through the end of the year, but to complete his term, through 2021, she must be reelected on Tuesday and in November’s general election.

All eight candidates who ran in the special election are on the ballot again in the primary, but only a few are actively challenging Louis. 

Here are the active candidates:

Anthony Alexis, a former staffer at the New York State Assembly and City Council staffer

Monique Chandler-Waterman, a former public school teacher, outreach director for Williams’ City Council office and the founder of a youth services organization called East Flatbush Village

Farah Louis, a former deputy chief of staff and budget director in Williams’ City Council office and health care administrator

Xamayla Rose, the co-founder of an anti-violence nonprofit called the Christopher Rose Community Empowerment Campaign and a former aide to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

Other races

For judicial and party position races, look up your sample ballot at nyc.pollsitelocator.com.

Resources for voters

Attorney General Letitia James’ office set up a hotline to report any problems at the polls. Voters can call 1-800-771-7755 or email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

For more information on the candidates, check the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s voter guide.