In the spotlight of the highly competitive New York City mayoral election, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo are neck-and-neck in the polls, driving up voter turnout. The 9-day early voting period ended yesterday (November 2), and according to the New York City Board of Elections, a total of 735,317 people cast their votes early, which is more than four times the 170,000 early votes in the previous mayoral election in 2021.
Staff at the Flushing early voting site told reporters that they felt the enthusiasm for this election among voters was “even higher than the presidential election.”
Polling expert Evan Roth Smith of Slingshot Strategies told the New York Post that the mayoral election in New York City this year will be the most intense and captivating since 2001.
Smith predicted that including election day on November 4, at least 1.9 million voters are expected to come out to vote, surpassing the 1.5 million votes in 2001 when Republican candidate Bloomberg won, and is expected to be the highest voter turnout in New York City since nearly 2.5 million people voted for liberal mayor John Lindsay in 1969.
Yesterday at the Flushing Boys Scouts of America early voting site, voters came continuously to cast their ballots, representing a wide range of age groups. By midday, over 400 people had voted, and since the start of early voting, approximately 3,000 people had cast their votes at the Flushing early voting site.
A Chinese translator told reporters yesterday that she felt the voter turnout for this election was even more enthusiastic than last year’s presidential election, noting that the elderly were more actively participating. She mentioned that 95% of the Chinese voters she had assisted were voting for Cuomo because many were concerned about socialist candidate Mamdani winning, and wanted to prevent that outcome by turning out to vote.
Outside the Flushing early voting site, supporters of the three candidates are intensifying their campaigning efforts, with the largest number of supporters coming from Mamdani’s camp, mostly comprising young Chinese speakers. A Chinese girl named Michelle told reporters that she believed Mamdani was approachable, grassroots-oriented, listened to the people, and did not associate with wealthy elites.
In Flushing, Martha, a Democratic community leader, is a staunch supporter of independent candidate Cuomo. She expressed concerns to reporters about Mamdani’s proposal to cut police funding, fearing it could jeopardize public safety. Martha praised Cuomo for his experience and crisis management skills during his tenure as governor.
Election day is on November 4 (Tuesday), with polls open from 6 AM to 9 PM. To find a polling site, visit: https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/