This article is adapted from our June 10 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.

Dear New Yorkers,

It’s crunch time! Early voting starts Saturday, June 14, and runs through Sunday, June 22. Primary day is June 24.

Ready? A quick checklist:

• Double-check your registration here. (: To vote in a primary, you have to be ed with a party.)
• Find your early voting site, Primary Day voting site and sample ballot here (after you enter your address).
• Refresh your memory on ranking strategy. TL;DR — Do not rank anyone you hate, but do fill in as many spots on your ballot as you can with candidates you can stand.
• Take our Meet Your Mayor quiz to find out which mayoral candidates match best with you on local issues.

There is a LOT of stuff happening in the days leading up to voting, both the known (debates) and the unknown (more surprise endorsements, perhaps?).

The second comptroller debate, co-moderated by my colleague Alyssa Katz alongside WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and NY1’s Errol Louis, is tonight, and you can we’ve got you.)

The final mayoral debate airs Thursday night, which I’ll be co-moderating with Brian and Errol and you can watch here.) 

The next mayoral debate has fewer candidates — Michael Blake and Jessica Ramos didn’t qualify — and there will be an audience inside the auditorium at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

I can exclusively reveal in this newsletter that there have been many Zoom meetings and discussions on what questions to ask, how quickly we can ask them, how substantive they can be in the time allotted and how a lightning-round question can be both fun and revealing. But for everything else, you’ll have to tune in on Thursday. 

We’ve written a ton of voter guides this campaign season to help you make an informed decision at the ballot box. Here’s more to help you out:

1. Our guides on elections for 13 City Council races to watch. 
2. Track who’s spending big money on your favorite (or least favorite) candidates. 
3. You can also listen to our interviews on FAQ NYC with almost all of the Democratic primary candidates, if you have a few hours. 

As always, if you have questions about voting or the election, reply to this email or send us a note at [email protected]. Happy voting, NYC!

— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team

What We’re Reading …

• Two new internal polls from the Cuomo and Mamdani camps show a tightening race between the two candidates.
• The state’s power authority spent more than $100 million for lights Cuomo, as governor, wanted on New York City’s bridges. Now they’re up for auction.
• What climate-related challenges await the next mayor? We took a look.
• NYCHA tenants leaders say they raising big money from businesses that have interest in front of the city.  
• Progressives have yanked from Ramos after she backed Cuomo.
• DC 37 has launched a PAC for Adrienne Adams. 
• Our friends at Chalkbeat New York asked the mayoral candidates where they stand on key education issues like school safety, the curriculum overhaul, class sizes and more. Find out which candidate lines up with your own views, and sign up for Chalkbeat’s free local newsletter to keep up with important news on NYC schools.

What’s Ahead … 

Days until the June primary: 14

June 10 (TONIGHT): Comptroller primary debate, 7 p.m.

June 12: Final Democratic mayoral debate, 7 p.m.

June 13: Next campaign finance deadline, which means we’ll get a new look at which candidates have the most cash headed into the final campaign days.

June 14: Early voting begins. This is also your last day to to vote for the primary and the last day the Board of Elections can receive your absentee ballot application online.

Your Election Questions, Answered

❓Reader Margaret M. asked: What’s the difference between an absentee ballot and an early, mail-in ballot?

Answer: On a practical level, there is not a lot of difference between these two options. Both must be requested by the same date (June 14 if online and June 23 if in person), postmarked by the same date (June 24) and each has a pre-paid envelope for their return. And importantly, if you vote using either mail-in method, you are not allowed to vote in-person on a voting machine.

For all the rules and to request a mail-in ballot, here is all the information from the city Board of Elections.

Because of a recent state law change, any voter can request an early mail-in ballot for any reason. For an absentee ballot, there are specific requirements, like being out of the country at the time of the election. For absentee ballots, you also have the option to automatically request one for all future elections if you are permanently ill or disabled.

Have a question for our election team? Reply to this email or send your questions to [email protected].

THE CAMPAIGN KICKER: Will mayoral candidate Michael Blake be on the debate stage on Thursday? We’ll see — the former Assemblymember is suing the Campaign Finance Board to secure a spot on stage.