“Gimme gimme shock treatment.” – The Ramones

We’ve had at least 22,000 deaths from COVID-19. We’ve had protests. We’ve had lootings. And today, tens of thousands of New Yorkers will head to the polls.

So forgive me that after our fire-and-brimstone trials, I think it’s a bigger deal that New York City is even having a primary than who’s actually on the ballot.

The main event is the Democratic presidential primary, but since everyone has dropped out of the race except Joe Biden, it’s kind of like trying to place a bet on the Super Bowl in June. (Please let me know if you have any luck with that.)

Governor Cuomo wisely made the coronavirus an excuse for anyone in New York to request an absentee ballot – and at least 550,000 people in the city have taken him up on his offer and have already mailed in their votes.

With the exception of two Republican primaries on Staten Island and a sliver of Brooklyn, all of the city’s major races are Democratic, with several candidates modeling themselves after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who shocked the political establishment by beating Congressman Joe Crowley in a primary two years ago.

Whether AOC was lightning in a bottle or the sign of things to come will be determined in today’s primary – whenever we find out the identity of the winners – which will be likely be in July because of the tens of thousands of ballots that will have to be counted by hand starting next week.

So even if we can’t solve all of New York’s political mysteries for you tonight, NY1 will have three hours of coverage and discussion of the many races across the city from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. If you haven’t been focusing on local politics, tonight is your chance to catch up with our reporters in the field and expert analysis – from at least six feet away.