According to the NYC Board of Elections, 294,604 residents voted early from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Wednesday, Oct. 28. That is more than 120,000 above the same point in the governor's race four years ago, and about 3,000 short of last year's mayoral election record. Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to the New York Post, NYC Board of Elections data show that 294,604 residents voted early from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Wednesday, Oct. 28. That is more than 120,000 above the same point in 2022, when the governor's race topped the ballot, an increase of about 72%. It is about 3,000 short of the early-voting record set in last year's mayoral election.
By borough, the Bronx saw the biggest increase. According to an unofficial count, more than 30,000 people had voted there as of Tuesday, Oct. 27, nearly double the roughly 16,000 at the same point in 2022. At the same point in last year's mayoral election, the figure was close to 25,000. Manhattan and Brooklyn had about 82,000 and about 86,000, respectively, fewer than at the same point last year (more than 89,000 in Manhattan and more than 92,000 in Brooklyn). Staten Island and Queens each rose by about 2,000 from last year.
The New York Post noted that high turnout could favor Democratic candidates in heavily Democratic New York City. According to state Board of Elections data, the state has about 6 million registered Democrats, about 3.4 million unaffiliated voters and about 2.8 million registered Republicans. In this election, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul faces Republican Bruce Blakeman, and Democratic Attorney General Letitia James faces Republican Saritha Komatireddy. In the latest Siena College poll, Hochul leads by 14 percentage points and James by 15 percentage points. In a recent Marist poll, Hochul's lead was 11 percentage points, and Blakeman led among independent voters.
In Queens, which includes Flushing and Bayside, the number of early voters rose by about 2,000 from the same point last year. Voters who live in New York City can vote early through Sunday, Nov. 1. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.