Voting can be confusing! Through the New York Voter Toolkit, iMentor's goal is to make a complex process, easy to understand with tools for mentors to talk to your mentees about the voting process. This page is a one-stop-shop for everything voting related.

A year from now, on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, there will be a New York City election for important local races that can greatly impact New York City residents’ daily lives. Help decide the future of our great city!

This will also be the first time in New York City history that candidates will be chosen by Ranked-Choice Voting. Check out this awesome video from FairVote that explains Ranked-Choice voting.

NYC Election Calendar: contains the most up-to-date information including dates for the upcoming Citywide primaries.

These are the Races that will be on the NYC Ballot in 2021:

• Mayor: leader of a city.
• Public Advocate: investigates individuals' complaints against government corruption or incompetence; makes proposals to strengthen city government’s responses to the needs of its citizens. If something happened to the Mayor, the Public Advocate would step into the role of Mayor.
• Comptroller: oversees the city’s finances.
• District Attorney in Brooklyn and Manhattan: reviews police arrest reports and decides whether to bring criminal charges against arrested people and prosecutes criminal cases in the courts.
• Borough President in all 5 Boroughs: advocates for their borough to the Mayor, city agencies, the City Council, New York State government, and public/private businesses.
• City Council Members: Similar to Congress at the federal level, the New York City Council is the City’s legislative body. The Council is separate from the Mayor’s administration but an equal partner in how NYC is run. City Council has the power to introduce and vote on legislation (proposed laws) having to do with all aspects of City life. They negotiate the City’s budget with the Mayor and approve it. Additionally, they monitor City agencies such as the Department of Education or the NYPD to make sure they’re effectively serving New Yorkers. Lastly, they review the use of the City’s land and make decisions about the growth and development of the City.

In New York state, 16-17 year olds can pre-register to vote!
When someone turns 18 they then are automatically registered to vote!

Resources to learn more about voting and talk about the process with your mentee:

• How to Register to Vote and Actually Vote in NY State
• How to Talk to your Mentee about Voting 

Additional Resources 

• Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Future Virtual Event Recording
• How to Find Your Polling Site
• For First-Time Voters-What ID to Bring to Your Polling Site

Download forms:

• NY Voter Registration form (English)
• NY Voter Registration form (Spanish)
• NY Absentee Ballot Application (English)
• NY Absentee Ballot Application (Spanish)