WASHINGTON - Before you head to the polls to cast your vote in the D.C. primary on Tuesday, here's everything you need to know.
Polling stations will be open on Tuesday, June 19 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you are in line before 8 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. If you need to find your local polling station, click here.
If you haven't had time to register to vote, remember that D.C. allows same-day registration. You can check your registration here.
If you plan to do same-day registration, you must have proof of residence in the District. Voters must have resided in D.C. at least 30 days prior to June 19. To cast a vote for primary candidates, voters must be at least 17 years old and turning at least 18 years old by the general election on November 6, 2018. Voters may not be in jail for a felony conviction while casting their vote or have been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote.
Remember, if you are an Independent or not registered to one of the four political parties that are eligible to hold a primary in D.C. (Democratic, Republican, D.C. Statehood Green or Libertarian) you CAN still vote on Initiative Measure No. 77, the District of Columbia Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2017.
You can find sample ballots before you head to the polls here.
As you're voting, remember that it is OK to take a "ballot selfie" in the District. If you take one, be sure tag FOX 5 by using #Fox5Vote.
Washingtonians will be keeping a close eye on two primary races and a ballot issue that could impact thousands.
Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia: Ed Lazere, a longtime policy advocate and founder of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute who is running for office for the first time, will take on Phil Mendelson, the incumbent who has been chairman of the D.C. Council since 2012. Both Democratic candidates tout being progressive. Lazere's website states that he wants to "ensure that DC's growing economy doesn't come with the cost of growing inequality." The site for Mendelson, who was first elected to the DC Council in November 1998 as an at-large council member, states he believes in "practical government that responsibly delivers services."
U.S. House Representative for the District of Columbia: Kim Ford, who worked in the Obama administration, will take on incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton, who will be seeking her 15th straight term. Ford, who has received public backing from DC Attorney General Karl Racine, is pushing to "ensure tangible outcomes on the road to Statehood." Norton, who has been in office since 1991, consistently wins more than 80 percent of the vote, according to the Washington Post.
Initiative Measure Number 77 - District of Columbia Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2017: If enacted, the initiative would gradually increase the minimum wage in the District of Columbia for tipped employees, such as servers and bartenders, to $15 an hour by 2020. Supporters of the bill say the culture of tipping leads to an environment where employees must put up with sexual harassment to earn their living and say federal requirements that employers must make up the tipped wage difference are not fully enforced. Opponents of the bill say it could lead to fewer tips and less money for workers while forcing businesses to raise prices and pass along the cost to consumers.
To see a complete list of candidates running for office in the District's primary, click here.
You can find results for the D.C. primary election here.