New York City residents voted in record numbers for the first two days of early voting in the city’s mayor’s race.
According to the New York Board of Elections, a total of 164,190 ballots were cast on Saturday and Sunday in the matchup between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.That’s more than five times the early voting turnout for the mayor’s race in 2021 in which 31,176 voters turned out the first two days, data show.On Saturday Manhattan led the voter surge with 24,046 residents casting votes on Saturday, a big increase from 4,563 on the first day of early voting in 2021.
The record turnout in the first weekend of early voting comes as the three contenders rally supporters in the final stretch of the highly contested election.
Frontrunner and Democratic socialist Mamdani has enjoyed a strong lead in the race after winning the Democratic primary in June.
28-year-old registered Democrat Deepa Paulus was among a number of younger voters who cast their ballot for Mamdani over the weekend, citing his pledge to tackle housing and other affordability issues in the city.
“He has a lot of really good ideas for the future of New York, and I feel very hopeful when I hear him talking,” Paulus said. “I know it’s hard to actually implement changes like that, but I’m excited to see what he does.”
Mamdani held a rally at a stadium in Queens on Sunday with progressive lawmakers Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) rallying support for the frontrunner.
“When you insist on building a coalition with room for every New Yorker, that is exactly what you create: a tremendous force,” Mamdani said. “This, my friends, was your movement, and it always will be.”
Cuomo warned New Yorkers about what the city would look like under Mamdani’s leadership. Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary and is running in the mayor’s race as an independent.
“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party. That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about,” Cuomo said. “He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”
67-year old registered Democrat Alix Mondesir said he voted for Cuomo over the weekend, citing Mamdani’s experience as a major factor behind his vote.
“The bottom line is we can’t go on hopes,” Mondesir said. “We have to go on someone that shows that they can handle the budget, that they’ve been in the fire and that they’ve survived. I don’t want a guy learning on the job. I want a guy with a proven track record.”
Meanwhile, Sliwa continues to rally for votes despite no clear path to victory in the race. The Republican nominee has constantly polled last in the matchup but has refused to drop out of the race.
“Day three of early voting is here and the momentum behind our movement is growing,” his campaign wrote on X. “Get out there and vote to save our city. We the people will never be silenced. This is our moment.”
Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 2. The election will be held on Nov. 4.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.