New York City’s Mayoral Race Sees Explosive Start as Early Voting Skyrockets Fivefold Compared to 2021 — Nearly 80,000 Ballots Cast on Day One
New York City’s highly anticipated mayoral election kicked off with a record-breaking surge in early voter turnout, with officials confirming that nearly 80,000 New Yorkers cast ballots on the very first day of early voting — five times higher than the turnout for the same period in 2021. The city’s Board of Elections reported that 79,409 voters showed up across the five boroughs on October 25, signaling unprecedented engagement in what has quickly become one of the most contentious mayoral races in years.
Election analysts said the massive turnout spike reflects growing public interest in a race that has gripped the city’s political scene. According to data released late Friday, Manhattan led the early voting totals with 24,000 ballots, followed by Brooklyn with 22,000, Queens with 19,000, the Bronx with 7,700, and Staten Island with just over 6,400. Officials noted that early voting sites across the city saw long lines, with several locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn reporting wait times exceeding 45 minutes.
The high-energy turnout underscores the intensity surrounding this year’s contest, which features three major candidates — Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after years away from public office. Cuomo’s reemergence on the political scene has transformed what was expected to be a quiet race into a heated battle of personalities, experience, and ideology. With former Mayor Eric Adams stepping aside following a series of investigations, the field has opened wide, and early voting numbers suggest voters are more determined than ever to have their say.
Political observers say the surge may point to broader voter enthusiasm — or frustration — over the city’s direction. Key issues driving turnout include public safety, affordable housing, homelessness, and economic recovery. “New Yorkers are showing up early because they feel the stakes are high,” said one election analyst. “This isn’t just about who becomes mayor — it’s about the city’s identity and direction for the next decade.”
Campaign insiders from both parties have scrambled to capitalize on the early momentum. Mamdani’s campaign has focused on youth engagement and grassroots mobilization, deploying volunteers to more than 60 early voting sites across the city. Meanwhile, Cuomo’s operation has leaned heavily on his established political network, pushing a message of leadership experience and citywide unity. Sliwa, who has retained his loyal base of Republican and independent voters, has centered his campaign on law and order, warning against what he describes as “another four years of chaos.”
Despite their differences, all three campaigns agreed on one thing — the first-day turnout was a wake-up call. “New Yorkers are paying attention,” one Cuomo adviser told reporters. “This race is wide open, and people are clearly fired up.”
The early voting surge also highlights how changes in election access and awareness have reshaped civic participation. Since 2020, New York has expanded early voting access, added ballot drop-off points, and increased outreach in multiple languages. Those changes, combined with heightened political polarization, have made early voting an increasingly popular option.
As early voting continues through the week and Election Day nears, the record-breaking turnout has set the tone for what could be one of the highest-participation mayoral elections in recent memory. For a city often criticized for voter apathy, this sudden flood of civic engagement offers a rare reminder of democracy’s pulse — and of New Yorkers’ willingness to stand in line when the future of their city is on the ballot.
