What to know about the 2023 primary election in Monroe County
Candidates for Monroe County's three most powerful legislative bodies are competing in primary elections.
Besides the Monroe County Legislature, Rochester City Council and the Rochester school board, there are contested party lines for family court, Rochester city court and leadership positions in Brighton, Irondequoit, Penfield, Perinton, Pittsford, Rush and Wheatland.
Many of the primary races represent are evidence of significant intra-party differences:
In the County Legislature's 17th district, incumbent legislator Rachel Barnhart faces a challenge in a new, redrawn district from Allan Richards, an aide to state Assemblyman Harry Bronson.
County Legislature President Sabrina LaMar is being challenged by Rose Bonnick, while her fellow dissidents Frank Keophetlasy and Vince Felder, both ousted from the Legislature two years ago, are seeking positions on City Council and the city school board, respectively.
The ideological direction of City Council is at stake, as incumbent Mary Lupien and challengers Barbara Rivera and Chiara Smith, all progressives, pair off with relative moderates Paul Conrow, LaShay Harris and Michael Patterson, respectively.
On the Republican side, Jeff Leenhouts and Leonard Morrell are both running for supervisor in Penfield.
Here's what you need to know for the primary elections.
Am I eligible to vote in New York?
Only registered party members are allowed to vote in each party's primary elections. Here are the qualifications to vote in New York:
You must be a U.S. citizen;
Be 18 or older;
Not be in prison for a felony conviction;
Not claim the right to vote elsewhere;
And not found to be incompetent by a court.
Where is my polling place?
You can look up where you are registered to vote, and which polling place you can attend, at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
When are polls open?
Polls opened for early voting on Saturday, June 17. Early voting ended on June 25.
Polling hours during the early voting period may vary -- look up your local polling site for more information.
Polls are open for regular voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27.
More: Early voting begins this weekend in Monroe County. See locations, times
Can I vote by absentee ballot?
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot for the June primaries was June 12. To apply for an absentee ballot for a future election, go to Elections.ny.gov.
Where can I find election results?
The unofficial results of the August primary elections will be available after 9 p.m. on June 27 at nyenr.elections.ny.gov.
Who's on the ballot in Monroe County?
Family Court, Working Families: Kristine Demo-Vazquez, Maroun Ajaka, Maria Cubillos-Reed, Dandrea Ruhlmann (choose two)
Legislature 4th District, Republican: Virginia McIntyre vs. Rita Pettinaro
Legislature 17th District, Democratic: Rachel Barnhart vs. Allan Richards
Legislature 21st District, Democratic: Oscar Brewer, Jr. vs. Santos Cruz
Legislature 22nd District, Democratic: Jessie Parson vs. Mercedes Simmons
Legislature 25th District, Democratic: Carolyn Hoffman vs. Nadja Justice
Legislature 27th District, Democratic: Sabrina LaMar vs. Rose Bonnick
Legislature 29th District, Democratic: Candice Lucas vs. William Burgess
Rochester City Court Judge, Democratic: Constance Patterson, Jack Elliott, Campbell Roth (choose two)
More: Three Democrats in contest for two Rochester City Court judgeships: What to know
City Council East, Democratic: Mary Lupien vs. Paul Conrow
City Council Northeast, Democratic: Chiara "Kee-Kee" Smith vs. Michael Patterson
City Council Northwest, Democratic: Frank Keophetlasy vs. Bridget Monroe
City Council South, Democratic: Barbara Rivera vs. LaShay Harris
Rochester Board of Education, Democratic: Vince Felder, Amy Maloy, Beatriz LeBron, Isaiah Santiago, Ricardo Adams, Jacqueline Griffin, Maria Cruz (choose four)
Rochester school board primary preview: 7 candidates running for 4 seats
Brighton Town Justice, Democratic: Clark Zimmerman, Jr., Jason DiPonzio, Vik Vilkhu
Brighton Town Council, Democratic: Jesus Sowell, Rachel Rosner, Christopher Werner, Nate Salzman (choose two)
Irondequoit Town Justice, Working Families: Brian Green vs. Patrick Russi
Penfield Supervisor, Republican: Jeff Leenhouts vs. Leonard Morrell
Perinton Town Justice, Working Families: Gary Muldoon vs. Vincent Merante
Pittsford Town Council, Working Families: Ronald Bajorek, Jr., George Buck, Cathy Koshykar, Naveen Havannavar (choose two)
Rush Supervisor, Republican: Kelly Pruden vs. Daniel Woolaver
Rush Town Council, Democratic: Gerald Kusse, Shannon Wisnowski, Peter Kim-Fredell (choose two)
Wheatland Town Supervisor, Republican: Jim Kirch vs. Linda Dobson
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY primary 2023: Monroe County candidates, where to vote, more
