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August 23, 2022  | by Rachel Janfaza, Ethan Cohen and Melissa Holzberg DePalo

This month, as the final round of primaries kicks off around the country, the CITIZEN newsletter will focus on what readers should know about every Tuesday’s primaries, with guest writers from CNN’s campaign team and political unit. 

TRACKING TODAY'S VOTES ON DESANTIS' OPPONENT, KEY NY FACE-OFFS AND MORE

It's primary election day in New York, Florida and Oklahoma.

Though New York held many of its primaries in June, the Empire State's prolonged redistricting process not only pushed its congressional primaries to August, it also created several notable Democratic races. In Manhattan, there will be a member vs. member primary and a crowded field vying to win a largely new district. Elsewhere, the chair of the party's campaign arm is facing a progressive challenger.

New York is also holding two special elections to fill vacant house seats.

There is a full slate of primaries in Florida, including a key Democratic gubernatorial primary to see who will take on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the fall, a Democratic Senate primary to see who will take on Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, as well as a number of competitive House races.

And there are primary runoffs in Oklahoma including the GOP contest for the special Senate election to replace Sen. Jim Inhofe when he resigns next year.

Here's everything you need to know:

In New York, the state's redistricting process created a number of competitive Democratic primaries, including a contest between Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney. There is a crowded field of Democrats including: Rep. Mondaire Jones, one of the House's impeachment lawyers in Trump's first impeachment hearing; Dan Goldman; New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera; and New York Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou. And, following a series of controversial moves after redistricting, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is facing a progressive challenger in state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who is endorsed by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Empire State is also holding two special elections in the 19th and 23rd Districts. In the 19th District, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, are facing off for the seat left vacant by now Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. And in the 23rd District, Republican Joe Sempolinski, chairman of the Republican Party of Steuben County who previously worked for Reed, and Democrat Max Della Pia, an Air Force veteran and attorney, are facing off to see who will fill the rest of former Rep. Tom Reed's term. Reed resigned from Congress earlier this year following sexual misconduct allegations made against him by a former lobbyist.

In Florida, the highest profile race will be the Democratic gubernatorial primary. The race has mainly narrowed Rep. Charlie Crist, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. While the Sunshine State has become more Republican in recent years the years, Fried is hoping to cash in on being the most recent Democrat to win statewide in her bid for the governor's mansion. Crist was first elected governor as a Republican in 2006, and then ran for Senate as an independent in 2010, losing to Republican Marco Rubio. Crist then ran for governor in 2014 as a Democrat and lost to now-Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican. Crist won his House seat as a Democrat in 2016.

In the Democratic Senate primary to see who will take on Rubio in November, Rep. Val Demings, the former Orlando police chief who served as an impeachment manager in former President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, is the favorite to win the nomination.

The Sunshine State is also holding a number of key US House primary races, including a Republican primary for a new Jacksonville seat, a set of primaries in the purple district represented by retiring Rep. Stephanie Murphy and a Democratic primary in the Orlando area district represented by Demings, where one of the first members of Gen Z to run for Congress is generating considerable buzz.

And in Oklahoma, there are runoff elections for races where no candidate got a majority of the vote in the June primary. In the highest profile contest, Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin and former state House Speaker T.W. Shannon will compete in a runoff to be the GOP nominee for the special election to fill GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe's seat, who is resigning in January. The winner will likely win the general election in November. There's also a Democratic runoff for the regularly scheduled Senate seat and a GOP runoff for the 2nd District seat Mullin is vacating.

HOW TO FOLLOW CNN'S ELECTION COVERAGE

You can follow along with results on CNN.com and with our live updates. CNN's decision desk will be monitoring results and will make projections accordingly.

WHAT TIME DO THE POLLS CLOSE?

• In Florida, polls close at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Mail ballots are due by the close of polls.
• In Oklahoma, polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be returned either by hand by August 22 or by mail no later than poll close on August 23.
• And In New York, polls close at 9 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be postmarked by August 23 and received by August 30.

ELECTION RESOURCES

CNN has numerous election-related resources available to readers:

• Five things to watch as Democratic primaries in New York and Florida take center stage: New York's long and messy redistricting process pushed its US House and state Senate primaries back nearly two months. Down in Florida, Democrats will choose their fighter for what promises to be a ferocious campaign against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis

• Redistricting pit Maloney and Nadler against each other. Now, the hostile NY primary will reach its conclusion: In Washington, Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler are two powerful committee chairs: Oversight and Judiciary. Back home in New York, they're two politicians in their mid-70s trying to avoid much attention as they try not to be the one forced to leave Congress.

• Florida Democrats to decide Tuesday who would be best to take abortion fight to DeSantis: On this, the Democratic candidates for Florida governor agree: New restrictions on abortion in the Sunshine State and uncertainty about the future of women's health across America have reinvigorated their voters and elevated the urgency to their effort to knock off Gov. Ron DeSantis this fall.

• The key races left on the 2022 primary calendar: After a whirlwind past few weeks, the end of the midterm primary season is in sight. Over the next four weeks, the remaining seven states on the calendar will complete their primary elections, locking in the Senate, House and gubernatorial landscape for the fall. (Louisiana, which uses a majority-vote system where all candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same ballot in November, is the unique exception.)

WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE

Our goal is to help guide conversations about the battle for voting rights in a critical year for American democracy. We’re sharing the latest developments in the battle for ballot access, hearing from experts, answering your questions and providing practical information about how to vote this year. Look for it in your inbox every Tuesday – along with a way to sign up for the free weekly CITIZEN BY CNN events. And, please, drop us a line to let us know what you think: [email protected]. And get your friends to subscribe here.