Election Day In Brooklyn: Here's What You Need To Know

BROOKLYN, NY — The 2024 general election is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Early voting in New York City, which ended on Sunday, had a record number of votes cast. To no one's surprise, Brooklyn beat the other boroughs with 345,840 ballots cast.

This year has a high voter turnout because the presidential race and candidates for New York's U.S. House and Senate seats are on the ballot, but there will also be local decisions to be made in Brooklyn in the State Senate and the State Assembly on Election Day.

Here's what you need to know in Brooklyn.

When and where do I vote on Election Day?

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Find your poll site in Brooklyn here.

Can I still register to vote?

Voter registration closed on Oct. 26, when early voting started. Not sure if you are registered? Go here to check your voter registration.

Can I still apply for a mail-in ballot?

If you are registered to vote and want to apply for a mail-in ballot, you can still do so, but you have to go to the Brooklyn Board of Elections office in person, which is located at 345 Adams St., 4th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. The last day to apply for mail-in voting is Nov. 4.

If sending by mail: Ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day. If taking it to the local Board of Elections yourself, ballots must be delivered to the Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

Who is on the ballot?

Along with the presidential contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump, you'll see candidates for U.S. Senate and U.S. House. You'll also see State Senators and State Assemblymembers on the ballot.

Here are the state and local candidates for races on the ballot in Brooklyn. The candidates who currently hold the office are labeled "incumbent."

Note: Several incumbents are running unchallenged. Below are just the contested races that Brooklyn voters will see on the ballot.

You may also look up your sample ballot here.

U.S. Senate

• Democrat Kristin Gillibrand (Democratic, incumbent)
• Michael Sapraicone (Republican)
• Diane Sare (Independent)

U.S. House District 7

• Nydia Velazquez (Democratic, Working Families Party, incumbent)
• Bill Kregler (Republican, Conservative Party)

U.S. House District 8

• Hakeem Jeffries (Democratic, incumbent)
• John Delaney (Republican, Conservative Party)

U.S. House District 9

• Yvette Clarke (Democratic, incumbent)
• Menachem Raitport (Republican, Conservative Party)

U.S. House District 10

• Daniel Goodman (Democratic, Incumbent)
• Alexander Dodenhoff (Republican)
• Paul Briscoe (Conservative Party)

U.S. House District 11

• Nicole Malliotakis (Republican, Conservative Party incumbent)
• Andrea Morse (Democratic)

State Senate District 12

• Michael Gianaris (Democratic, Working Families Party, incumbent)
• Han-Khon To (Republican)

State Senate District 15

• Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (Democratic, incumbent)
• Danniel Maio (Conservative Party)

State Senate District 17

• Iwen Chu (Democratic, Working Families Party, incumbent)
• Steve Chan (Republican, Conservative Party)

State Senate District 23

• Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (Democratic, incumbent)
• Marko Kepi (Republican)

State Senate District 26

• Andrew Gournardes (Democratic, Working Families Party, incumbent)
• Vito LaBella (Republican, Conservative Party)

State Assembly District 44

• Robert Carroll (Democratic, Working Families Party, incumbent)
• John Bennett (Republican, Conservative Party)

State Assembly District 45

• Michael Novakhov (Republican, Conservative Party, incumbent)
• Joey Cohen-Saban (Democratic)

State Assembly District 46

• Alec Brook-Krasny (Republican, Conservative Party, incumbent)
• Chris McCreight (Democratic)

State Assembly District 47

• Wiliam Colton (Democratic, incumbent)
• David Sepiashvili (Republican, Conservative Party)

State Assembly District 51

• Marcela Mitaynes (Democratic, Working Families, incumbent)
• Erik Frankel (Republican, Conservative Party)

State Assembly District 52

• Jo Anne Simon (Democratic, Working Families Party, incumbent)
• Brett Wynkoop (Conservative Party)

State Assembly District 55

• Latrice Walker (Democratic, incumbent)
• Berneda Jackson (Republican, Conservative Party)

Judge Of The Civil Court 5th Municipal Court District

• Hemalee Patel (Democratic)
• Benjamin Lieberman (Conservative Party)
• Jacob Zelmanovitz (Democratic, Conservative Party)

Judge Of The Civil Court 6th Municipal Court District

• Janice Robinson (Democratic)
• Norma Jennings (Democratic)

What are the questions on the back of the ballot?

There will be six questions on the back of the ballot that require "yes" or "no" answers.

The first question on the ballot is from the New York State Equal Rights Amendment. The other five propose City Charter revisions from Mayor Eric Adams and the Charter Revision Commission, and impact just New York City.

Of all the proposals, propositions 2-4 have received the most backlash.

Proposition 1: Proposition 1 asks New Yorkers whether anti-discrimination provisions should be added to the New York State Constitution.

This would include discrimination against ethnicity, origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and pregnancy. Race and religion are already protected in the State Constitution.

This provision would also protect people seeking reproductive healthcare, which would, in turn, protect abortion rights.

Proposition 2: The second question asks whether voters want to amend the City Charter to give the New York City Department of Sanitation more authority to clean city property, including parks and highway medians. This proposition would also give DSNY the power over street vendors who sell their wares in parks and highway medians.

The Sanitation Department says that increased authority would help it maintain cleanliness on city streets, whereas critics say this proposition would grant the agency too much power.

Proposition 3: The third proposition asks whether voters want the City Council to produce a cost estimate for a bill two times and make the estimate public before voting on it. The proposition, if approved, would also allow the mayor's budget office to produce its own cost estimates for bills.

Supporters of the proposal say it brings more financial transparency to lawmaking, but critics say it is a power grab from Mayor Eric Adams, and it disrupts the council's lawmaking authority.

Proposition 4: The fourth proposition is also about lawmaking in City Council. It asks voters whether they want to have a mandatory 30-day public notice period before the council votes on any laws related to the city's public safety agencies, which includes the FDNY, NYPD and the Department of Correction.

It would also give the mayor and the affected agency the power to hold their own public hearings on the bills.

Supporters of the proposal say it would make the lawmaking process more public, but critics say it would dilute the council's ability to legislate and give more power to the mayor.

Proposition 5: The fifth proposition, which is less contentious than some of the others, asks voters if the city should be legally required to produce more detailed versions of its annual and semi-annual reports on the city's infrastructure and public facilities.

Proposition 6: The sixth proposition asks voters if the city can make a series of miscellaneous changes to the city charter. These changes include formalizing the role of Chief Business Diversity Officer, allowing employees of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment to issue filming permits, and consolidating two of the boards that handle the city's archives.

For more information, go here or reach out to miranda.levingston@patch.com with questions.