Finally it's here. Polls opened at 6 a.m. across the city and state on Tuesday, and voters who did not use early voting or absentee voting have until 9 p.m. to cast their ballot. While the nation's eyes will be on the major issues, here at Gothamist we're keeping track of the most important issues affecting New York City.

Here are the five things we're watching on Election Day 2024.

1) Will voters have an “Excelsior” experience at the polls?

During the early voting period, there were very few reports of widespread voting problems here in the city. Sure, there were lines. But there were even more reports of people celebrating the democratic process, with cheers at polling places for first-time voters and special Halloween and Battle of the Boro early voting stickers to inspire the voting geeks among us.

Things are about to get a lot busier. The city is expanding from 155 early voting locations to more than a thousand Election Day voting locations. Voters who did not check their ballots in advance or who did not vote for a long time may be assigned to new polling places – and possibly new precincts – due to redistricting. Please note that you can view your polling station page and sample ballot paper here.

For any voter who has concerns about their polling place experience or another issue that could prevent a lawful voter from casting their vote, there are nonpartisan poll watchers at many polling locations. Voters can also call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for assistance from trained election attorneys or 866-390-2992 to report a problem to the New York State Attorney General's Office.

If you think we should report something, email us at (email protected).

2) The first weekend of early voting broke records. But then the momentum faded. What voter turnout are we expecting in New York City?

Voter turnout is highest in presidential election years compared to all other elections. In 2020, voter turnout in New York City was 62%. In this election, 23% of active voters cast ballots during early voting, representing 1,119,056 check-ins at the end of that early voting period.

The most recent data from the New York City Board of Elections shows almost exactly the same 23% turnout among active voters, even though fewer voters — 1,089,328 — turned out to vote. That's because there are about 200,000 fewer registered voters in New York City. What will the overall voter turnout be? And will we see changes in the way voters cast their ballots?

That's a long way of saying we care about more than just the number of voters. We will also be watching to see how voter turnout breaks down between in-person and mail-in ballots, which must be postmarked by Election Day but will still count if received up to a week later.

3) Can the enthusiasm for the top spot in congressional races be reflected on the ballot?

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates seven congressional districts in New York with varying degrees of competitiveness. While Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump in recent national polls, turnout for Trump could be higher in parts of the state where Republicans are running strong congressional races.

The competitive races to watch are across Long Island, in 1st (Rep. Nick LaLota-R vs. John Avlon-D), 3rd (Rep. Tom Suozzi-D vs. Mike LiPetri-R) and 4th ( Rep. Anthony D'Esposito vs. Laura Gillen-D) Congressional Districts. Of Long Island's races, the 4th Congressional District in southern Nassau County is the most competitive. (Some analysts don't believe the 3rd Congressional District should even be on the list.)

The remaining races are north of the city in the Hudson Valley: the 17th (Rep. Mike Lawler-R vs. Mondaire Jones-D), the 18th (Rep. Pat Ryan-D vs. Alison Esposito-R) and the sprawling 19th. Rep. Marc Molinaro-R vs. Josh Riley-D), which stretches from Ithaca to the Massachusetts border.

Finally, there's the 22nd (Rep. Brandon Williams vs. State Sen. John Mannion) near the Syracuse area.

If Democrats manage to flip four seats in New York, they would be on their way to taking the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and naming Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn as House speaker.

4) Are voters thinking about turning over their ballot?

Across New York state, a measure will appear on voters' ballots that would add abortion and anti-discrimination protections to the state constitution. Proponents call it the “Equal Rights Amendment” and urge people to vote “yes” for most of the year. A campaign against the measure received a boost from donations of more than $8 million from abortion and transgender rights groups, first reported by The New York Times.

In New York City, voters also have five additional ballot questions related to proposed changes to the city charter. They are recommendations from a commission appointed by Mayor Eric Adams, who has argued they would help the city's leadership govern effectively. Opponents, including most City Council members, described the measures as a power grab.

All voting questions are on the back of the ballot paper. It is likely that some voters forget, neglect, or choose not to vote for some or all of them.

5) When will the results be available and why will New York City be ahead of most states?

The New York City Board of Elections has taken steps to improve election night coverage. In the 2022 midterm elections, results in New York City were well ahead of other parts of the state, including nearby Nassau and Suffolk counties, where there are three highly competitive races for the House of Representatives. New York City could be done with election night coverage before these races are called.