Decision 2021

Everything You Need to Know for Tuesday's Elections in NY, NJ, CT

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Voters in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are choosing who they want to represent them at the local and state levels. Before you hit the polls Tuesday, there are a number of things to know.

Elections throughout the three states will be held for new mayors, governors, district attorneys as well as local and state representatives. There will also be ballot proposals and questions to answer.

Below you will find all the information you need on voting and who is running for these offices.

In New York City, the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail was Oct.18, but you can still request a ballot in person as long as you do so before Nov. 1. To apply in person you must go to your local county Board of Elections office, which you can find here.

Absentee ballots will be accepted as long as they are postmarked on or before Nov. 2. If you already submitted your absentee ballot and want to track it, go to your Board of Elections website by clicking here.

Absentee ballots can also be dropped off in person at any of the Board of Elections offices, any early voting location or at any Election Day polling site.

In New Jersey, the deadline to receive an absentee ballot by mail has also passed, but you can still get your ballot in-person from your county clerk by Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. on Nov. 2. These ballots must be returned to a Secure Ballot Drop Box location or delivered to your county’s Board of Elections office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 2. Unlike in New York City, absentee ballots cannot be dropped off at early voting locations.

In Connecticut, voters can request absentee ballots up until the day before the election. You can request your ballot here. Voters may drop off their absentee ballots in person at their municipal clerk the day before the election. You can find the location of your town clerk here. Otherwise, immediate family members can drop off absentee ballots at the polls the day of the election. It the ballot is mailed, it must be in by the close of the polls on election day.

Along with electing candidates for a variety of city and statewide offices, New Yorkers and New Jerseyans will have to answer questions on their ballot. These questions will determine some potentially significant changes to state and city law.

The New York City Board of Elections has created a tool that will show voters sample ballots based on their address.

In New York City, voters will have to answer "yes" or "no" to five proposals ranging from apportionment and redistricting to same-day voter registration. There are also environmental and court-related questions. You can read more about these proposals here.

In New Jersey, there will be two questions on the ballot. The first one pertains to allowing sports betting on college sports. The second would allow nonprofits to use raffle money to raise money for their own organizations. You can read more details on these questions here.

New Yorkers will have to elect candidates to serve on various city positions.

MAYOR: The most talked about race in this election cycle has been the mayoral race. Democratic candidate Eric Adams is facing off against Republican Curtis Sliwa. The two candidates made their case in two debates, one of which was hosted by WNBC and which you can watch here.

COMPTROLLER: This is a citywide position with various candidates in the running. The two leading candidates in the race are Democrat Brad Lander and Republican Daby Carreras.

PUBLIC ADVOCATE: The current public advocate, Jumaane Williams, is seeking reelection. Williams is up against Republican Devi Nampiaparampil and Conservative Tony Herbert.

MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Those living in Manhattan will vote for a new district attorney. Democrat Alvin Braggs is running against Republican Thomas Kenniff. You can read more about this race here.

Things got heated on Tuesday night in the last debate before the election next Tuesday, as Mayoral candidates faced off against each other one last time. NBC New York's Myles Miller reports.

MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT: If you vote in Manhattan, you will see three candidates on your ballot running for borough president. The candidates are Democrat Mark Levine, Republican Louis Puliafito and Libertarian Michael Lewyn.

BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT: Democratic Council Member Antonio Reynoso is up against Republican Menachem Raitport.

BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT: Democratic Council Member Vanessa Gibson is running against Republican Janelle King and Conservative Sammy Ravelo.

QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT: Donovan Richards is running for reelection. He is facing Republican challenger Thomas Zmich.

STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH PRESIDENT: Former Republican representative Vito Fossella is running against Democrat Mark Murphy. Fosella is attempting to make a comeback after leaving Congress in 2008 when a DUI revealed he had a second family.

NY SENATE DISTRICT 30: In Harlem, voters will vote in a special election who will replace Brian Benjamin, who was recently appointed as lieutenant governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul last month. Democrat Cordell Cleare is running against Republican Oz Sultan and Shana Harmongoff of the Hope 4 NY party.

CITY COUNCIL: 41 out of 51 City Council seats are being contested on Tuesday. To find out more about the candidates running in your district, look at the New York City Board of Elections' sample ballot tool or check out this guide by The City.

Outside of the Big Apple, the greater New York area will also elect county executives and district attorneys.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE: The current County Executive George Latimer is running for reelection. He is being challenged by Republican Christine Sculti.

ROCKLAND COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Republican Ed Day is running for reelection against Democrat L'Tanya Watkins.

NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Democrat Laura Curran is running for reelection against Republican Bruce Blakeman. You can learn more about this race here.

One of the highest profile races in New York: the battle for Nassau County Executive. NBC New York's Greg Cergol sat down with both candidates.

NASSAU DISTRICT ATTORNEY: This seat has been vacant since the former District Attorney Madeline Singas became a judge. Democrat Todd Kaminksy is up against Republican Anne Donnelly.

SUFFOLK DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Democrat Tim Sini is seeking reelection and running against Republican Ray Tierney.

Other than these positions, there are several municipal races to watch for as well. To find out more about them, visit your county's Board of Elections website.

Westchester Board of Election website

Suffolk Board of Election website

Nassau Board of Election website

Rockland Board of Election website

New Jerseyans have some major state offices to fill with this election cycle.

GOVERNOR: Current Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy is running for reelection in a tight race against Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman from Somerset. A Monmouth poll released on Wednesday morning shows that Murphy has a double-digit lead over Ciattarelli.

New Jersey’s two major-party candidates for governor sketched sharply different visions for where they want to carry the state at their final debate. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy says New Jersey will veer away from public-sector investments in education, transit and a host of other areas under a GOP governor. NBC New York's Brian Thompson reports.

BERGEN COUNTY CLERK: Current Bergen County Clerk John Hogan is facing opposition from Republican Bridget Anne Kelly, a former aid of Governor Chris Christie who was a central figure in the infamous Bridgegate scandal.

STATE LEGISLATURE: New Jersey's state Senate and Assembly seats are up for reelection this year. To learn who is running in your district, look at the New Jersey Board of Elections website.

LOCAL: There are various municipal races in New Jersey including that for Jersey City mayor and Essex County Sheriff.

In Connecticut, voters will have to select from a variety of different municipal positions. To see sample ballots based on your town, go here.

Former Mets Manager Bobby Valentine is facing backlash for the way he described his opponent. John Chandler reports.
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