It's time to vote in RI's primary. Here's everything you need to know.

In Rhode Island, many races are effectively decided in the September primary — which is right around the corner.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, Sept. 10, and early voting has already opened.

Here's what you need to know:

Where and when is early voting happening?

Early voting has started and will take place every weekday until Sept. 9. Cranston will also offer early voting on Saturday, Sept. 7, and Exeter is offering early voting on Saturdays by request.

You can find a full list of early voting locations and their hours at https://vote.sos.ri.gov/forms/elections/VoteHours/HoursEng/HoursEng.html . Each municipality has one designated early voting site. In many (but not all) cases, it will be your local town or city hall.

When and where is Election Day voting happening?

Election Day is Tuesday, Sept. 10. Polls will open at 7 a.m. statewide, except in New Shoreham, where they open at 9 a.m. Polls close at 8 p.m., and you will be allowed to cast a vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.

To find your polling place on Election Day, go to vote.sos.ri.gov , and select "Find a Polling Place/View Sample Ballot." You will then be prompted to enter your address.

Are mail ballots still available?

The deadline to request a mail ballot has passed, but you can request an emergency mail ballot at mailballot.sos.ri.gov if there are extenuating circumstances.

What's on the ballot?

U.S. Senate:

• Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has a long-shot challenge from Michael Costa in the Democratic primary.
• On the Republican side, state Sen. Patricia Morgan will face off against Ray McKay.

General Assembly:

• There aren't many primary challenges to General Assembly incumbents this year, but there are about a dozen competitive races that are worth watching. Here's the list.

Mayoral races:

• Cranston's Republican mayoral primary, which pits incumbent Ken Hopkins against state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung , is perhaps the most hotly-contested race in Rhode Island this year.
• Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien also faces a long-shot challenger , Cameron Segalla, in the Democratic primary.
• Finally, Woonsocket's nonpartisan primary will determine the two out of three candidates who advance to the general election.

Other races:

• Depending on where you live, town council seats or other local offices may also be up for grabs. You can see who's on the ballot by going to vote.sos.ri.gov , and selecting the "Find a Polling Place/View Sample Ballot" option. You'll be prompted to enter your address, and can then download a sample ballot listing the races and the candidates for your area.

Is it too late to register to vote in the primary election?

If you aren't registered to vote in Rhode Island, it's too late to register in time to vote in the primary election. You can still vote in the general election if you register by Oct. 6.

It's also too late to change your party registration if you're already registered with one party, but want to vote in the other party's primary.

Can independent, unaffiliated voters vote in a primary?

If you're an independent voter and aren't affiliated with a political party, you have the option of voting in either party's primary. You don't need to fill out any paperwork in advance, and can simply show up and vote in the primary of your choice.

Notably, the law changed this year, making that process easier.

Previously, voting in a party's primary meant that you would be automatically affiliated with that party, and then had to disaffiliate. Now, unaffiliated voters remain unaffiliated after participating in a party primary, and do not have to go through the disaffiliation process, according to Faith Chybowski, director of communications for the Secretary of State's office.

To sum up: If you're an independent, you can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. But if you're registered as a Democrat, it's too late for you to disaffiliate and register as a Republican in order to vote in that primary (and vice versa).

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: It's time to vote in RI's primary. Here's everything you need to know.