Early voting turnout in New York City skyrocketed in the days preceding the Nov. 3 general election, and Brooklyn led the five boroughs in the number of voters.

Approximately 690,526 people across the city cast their ballots during nine days of early voting, according to Board of Elections data, a 60% increase in early voting turnout compared to the 2022 midterms. 

In Brooklyn, a whopping 219,536 people voted early, per BOE data. Manhattan followed with 188,434 voters, Queens at 162,914 and the Bronx and Staten Island trailing with 67,630 and 52,012 early voters, respectively.

This election is set to be a big one in the U.S., as Democrats attempt to regain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In New York, Democrats are expecting a “blue wave” in federal and state elections. Incumbent Democrats are polling well. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who campaigned across the city this weekend, has a double-digit lead over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman; Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli are also polling well ahead of their Republican opponents. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul campaigned in Brooklyn on Halloween during a last-minute push. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann

While New York City isn’t home to many contested federal races, Brooklyn Democrats are hoping to get in on the action locally. 

In southern Brooklyn, the party is trying to flip three Republican-held state Assembly seats and one state Senate district — ADs 45, 46, 49 and SD-17 — along with NY-11, the city’s only Republican congressional district.

High early voting totals tend to bode well for Democrats, and the party seems to be at an advantage nationwide heading into Election Day on Nov. 3. 

BOE data show that 81% of the borough’s early voters were registered Democrats, while about 7.6% were registered Republicans, though it’s not guaranteed that every person voted in line with their party. 

Older voters ages 60+ led the charge in Brooklyn, per BOE data, and made up around 28% of early votes; while the younger crowd turned out in force for the 2025 mayoral election, voters ages 18-34 made up around 22% of the turnout this year. Still, there were more registered Democrats than Republicans in all age groups, the data show. 

More registered Democrats than Republicans voted in every contested southern Brooklyn district, data show, including in Assembly districts where Republicans have previously maintained slim leads.

In AD-45, incumbent Republican Michael Novakhov is set for a rematch with Democrat Joey Cohen Saban. In 2024, Cohen-Saban lost to Novakhov by only 232 votes, and early voting numbers show that about 4,700 registered Democrats have already cast their ballots in the district, compared to 2,100 Republicans. 

More than 5,500 Democrats voted early in nearby AD-46, compared to 2,504 Republicans. In that district, incumbent Republican Alec Brook-Krasny is facing a repeat challenge from Chris McCreight after eking out a 1,500-vote win in 2024. 

In NY-11 — which includes sections of Brooklyn as well as all of Staten Island — just over 30,000 registered Democrats voted early, compared to about 25,000 Republicans. 

U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is likely to win re-election, despite early Democratic turnout in NY-11. File photo by Lloyd Mitchell

U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who has held NY-11 since 2021, defeated Max Rose by more than 40,000 votes in 2022. Two years later, she took an even larger lead over Democratic challenger Andrea Morse. 

The district is not largely considered competitive, though Democrat Mike DeCillis has garnered significant grassroots support. Malliotakis’ continued support of President Donald Trump — including his “One Big Beautiful Bill” — has landed her in hot water among constituents. The Staten Island Advance, which endorsed Malliotakis in 2022 and 2024, has thrown its weight behind DeCillis. 

While early voting turnout looks good for Democrats, most of the city’s voters are expected to turn out on Election Day, Nov. 3, and Brooklyn’s competitive races may turn out to be more competitive than they appear based on early totals. 

Polls are open on Nov. 3 from 6 a.m.-9 p.m., and Brooklynites can head to Brooklyn Paper’s voter guide to find a full list of candidates and more information about poll sites and ballot proposals.