In the New York City mayor’s race, early voters are continuing to flock to the polls in record numbers.
Officials say 223,268 people have already cast their ballot after three days. Voter enthusiasm in the race is high, and it shows no sign of abating.
The Board of Elections has a map that shows wait times at polling sites. Some locations had long wait times Tuesday evening, including one in Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani’s district. The map Tuesday showed three locations with wait times of over 50 minutes, and two more with wait times between 20-50 minutes.
Eric Adams campaigns with Cuomo
Mayor Eric Adams joined independent candidate Andrew Cuomo on the campaign trail Tuesday. Both men launched broadsides at Mamdani, attacking him for having little experience to handle the job.
“Eight and half million lives depend on what that mayor knows. Eight and half million lives,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo is trying to capitalize on polls showing he’s gaining on Mamdani. He launched a passionate attack on the 34-year-old Queens assemblyman’s short time in government and resume, which includes performing as the rapper Mr. Cardamom. Cuomo said in times of crisis, experience matters.
“My family, your family, on the qualifications, the experience, the skill, the ability of that one person. And I am not going to trust my family’s safety, or you’re not going trust your family’s safety to a rapper who wants to be mayor,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo campaigned with Adams. Both men tried to convince voters Mamdani is not a real Democrat.
“We need a Democrat,” Adams said. “We don’t need a socialist masquerading as a Democrat.”
“He is a socialist who happens to be on the Democratic line. I’m a Democrat who happens be on an independent line,” Cuomo said.
Mamdani responds to new poll showing Cuomo closing the gap
Mamdani appeared on a radio show and responded to a new poll that shows Cuomo has cut Mamdani’s lead in half, down from 20 points last month to 10 points now.
“We never trust the polls. We go out there and earn every vote ourselves. That’s what we got to do the next seven days so we can be the next mayor of New York City,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani is depending on his army of tens of thousands of volunteers. When CBS News New York asked Cuomo about the polls, he offered the ultimate putdown from one Queens boy to another. He said Mamdani has “a cheesy smile.”
Republican Curtis Sliwa, consistently trailing third in the polls, said the turnout in the race so far is a good thing.
“I encourage a continued turnout. People will choose it. Not the billionaires, not the insiders, not the influencers who have been wrong every step of the way,” Sliwa said.
Election Day is next Tuesday, Nov. 4.