Election Day: The Queens Races to Watch and Where to Vote

Voters cast their ballots. (NYC Board of Elections)

Nov. 2, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Voters will head to the polls one last day to decide who will be running the city government next year.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, Election Day, following nine days of early voting from Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. In total, 36,546 Queens residents took advantage of early voting, according to early tallies released by the NYC Board of Elections.

While the primary election tends to be more competitive in the Democratic-majority city, the general elections ultimately decide who gets sworn into office in January.

Some interesting Queens races to follow include the District 32 council race in which Democrat Felicia Singh is hoping to flip the borough’s lone Republican-held council seat representing Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach and Woodhaven.

Singh, an educator, activist and lifelong resident of Ozone Park, is facing Joann Ariola, who is the chair of the Queens County GOP and a longtime civic leader in Howard Beach. The race is expected to be the most competitive in the borough.

While it is not expected to be as competitive as the District 32 race, the District 19 race is likely to be closer than others in the borough. Tony Avella, a Democrat who represented the district more than 10 years ago, is likely to win the seat, although residents have elected a Republican in the past, as recently as 2009.

The district covers the neighborhoods of Auburndale, Bay Terrace, Bayside, Beechhurst, College Point, Douglaston, Flushing, Little Neck, Malba and Whitestone. Many residents, particularly in Whitestone and College Point, voted for Trump in 2020.

He will appear on the ballot next to Vickie Paladino, who won the Republican primary, and John-Alexander Sakelos, a professional stage actor, union member and professor who won the Conservative primary.

Another interesting race, albeit less competitive, is the District 22 election. The winner will take office this month as the Astoria council seat has been sitting vacant since Costa Constantinides left office earlier this year. Democrat Tiffany Cabán, who is favored to win, is on the ballot next to Republican Felicia Kalan and Green Party candidate Edwin DeJesus.

The map below lists the candidates appearing on the ballot in each Queens council race.

Winners of the council elections this year will complete a two-year term — instead of the typical four-year council term — for the first time in two decades due to a provision in the city charter related to the census.

Queens voters will also cast their votes for Queens borough president. Incumbent Donovan Richards is running against Republican challenger Thomas Zmich.

They will also vote for mayor, public advocate and comptroller. The mayoral election, which has many candidates, will ultimately come down to Democrat Eric Adams versus Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Voters can find their poll site by typing their address into the BOE site.

Voters who requested an absentee ballot must postmark or deliver their ballot to a poll site or county board by the end of the day today also.