Election Day In Astoria And LIC: When, Where To Vote

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Election Day is just around the corner, and Patch is bringing you a rundown of everything you need to know to vote in Astoria and Long Island City.

While many early-voting sites were plagued with long lines last week, officials hope casting a ballot will be much easier on Tuesday: The city will have more than 1,200 polling sites, compared to 90 early-voting locations citywide and just 18 in Queens.

New York offers several ways to vote on Tuesday, from going to the polls that day to dropping off or mailing an absentee ballot.

Any option, of course, depends on whether New Yorkers are registered to vote — and city dwellers can check here.

Here's a brief rundown of local races and how to vote in them.

What's On the Ballot?

Below are the major races that include Astoria and Long Island City, but be sure to check which legislative districts you live in to find out which candidates will be on your specific ballot. See the full list of candidates and races on the ballot here.

• 12th Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat who has represented parts of Manhattan and Western Queens in Congress since 1993, is seeking another term. She is being challenged by Carlos Santiago-Cano, running on the Republican and Conservative party lines, as well as Libertarian Steven Kolln.
• 14th Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first bid for re-election has reportedly become the second most expensive House race in the country. She is up against Republican challenger John C. Cummings and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who is running on the Serve America Movement party line.
• Queens Borough President: Voters will get to choose between Democratic nominee Donovan Richards, who represents Southeast Queens and the Rockaways in the City Council; Republican Joann Ariola, the chair of the Queens County Republican Party; and Bayside businessman Dao Yin, who is running on the "Red Dragon" line.

State Sen. Michael Gianaris, Assembly Member Catherine Nolan and Zohran Kwame Mamdani, who defeated Assembly Member Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary in June, are all running opposed.

Absentee voting

Concerned about going to the polls during the coronavirus pandemic? New York has you covered. Any New York voter concerned about the coronavirus can request an absentee ballot.

Monday, Nov. 2 is the last day to request an absentee ballot in person at your local Board of Elections office. The deadlines to request an absentee ballot online or by mail have passed. Ballots that are mailed in must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 3, and received by Nov. 10.

Voters can go in-person to their nearest post office to ensure their ballot is postmarked in time.

Ballots were sent out weeks ago, albeit with some problems in New York City. Be sure to check whether your name and address is correct on the ballot before you fill it out.

Once you fill out the ballot, fold it and put it in a smaller envelope. Sign and date the back of the envelope, seal it and put it in the larger envelope addressed to the Board of Elections. The ballot can then be mailed, or delivered to a polling site or the city's Board of Elections office by 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

Voters can track their ballots by clicking here.

Click here for more information from the BOE on absentee voting.

Voting On Nov. 3

Call it classic voting.

Voters who choose to vote on Election Day can easily find their polling location by clicking here.

What Happens After Nov. 3?

Experts predict results could take longer to get counted than other elections because of the coronavirus. Sit back, be patient and check Patch for updates.

Matt Troutman contributed to this report.