Harlem Election Guide: Congress, Assembly, Senate & More

HARLEM, NY — Make room on your Halloween costumes for an "I Voted" sticker: early voting started Saturday for dozens of races across the city, including multiple contested elections in Harlem.

Below, find our roundup of who's running in the general elections for Congress, State Senate and State Assembly in the neighborhood.

Early voting runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6, with Election Day on Nov. 8. (If you're not sure how to vote, find your poll site and view a sample ballot here.)

Here's what to know about the upcoming races in Harlem:

Assembly District 70: Dickens vs. Nelson-Acevedo

In Central Harlem's 70th District, incumbent Inez Dickens is seeking a fourth term in the State Assembly.

The 73-year-old Democrat fended off a challenge from housing advocate Delsenia Glover in the June primary election. Dickens also recently said she was considering challenging City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan in next year's city elections.

In the general election, Dickens faces Republican Cynthia Nelson-Acevedo. Little information is publicly available about her campaign.

Assembly District 68: Gibbs vs. Carreras

In East Harlem, Democrat Eddie Gibbs is seeking his first full term in the State Assembly after winning a special election last year to succeed Robert Rodriguez in District 68.

Gibbs says his top priorities include reducing gun violence, expanding social services and increasing affordable housing options.

Gibbs is up against Republican Daby Carreras, who had also been his opponent in the 2021 special election. (Gibbs won that contest with 80 percent of the vote.)

Carreras, an investment banker, was also the Republican nominee for city comptroller in 2021, and challenged Rodriguez for the same Assembly seat in 2018 and 2020.

Unopposed: Espaillat, Cleare, Serrano, Taylor

Harlem's representative in the U.S. Congress will be guaranteed re-election: Adriano Espaillat has no opponents as he seeks a fourth term in the 13th Congressional District.

Likewise, State Senators Cordell Cleare and Jose M. Serrano are running unopposed in their districts based in Central and East Harlem, respectively.

And Assembly Member Al Taylor has no challengers in his re-election bid in the 71st District, covering Hamilton Heights, Sugar Hill, and parts of Washington Heights.

Besides local legislative elections, the ballot will also feature statewide races for governor and lieutenant governor, comptroller, attorney general and U.S. Senate, plus four ballot questions and contests for local judgeships.

How to Vote

Early Voting

New Yorkers have nine days to cast their ballots early running from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6.

Hours:

• Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29 and 30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 31: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 1 and 2: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 3: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 4: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5 and 6: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Voters can type their information into this poll finder website to find their early voting location, as well as their Election Day polling location.

Likewise, the New York State Board of Elections website has a tool that shows voter information and links to polling locations.

An absentee ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and must reach the Board of Elections no more than 7 days after the election to be counted.

Voting On Nov. 8

Voters who choose to vote on Election Day itself can easily find their polling location by clicking here. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

What Happens After Nov. 8?

Nobody knows, but check Patch for updates.