Data shows that in the first two days of early voting in the New York City mayoral election, voters aged 50 and above accounted for nearly 60% of the ballots.
According to Gothamist media, early voters include members of the Gen X generation (born between 1965 and 1980), Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), and the oldest voters in New York, which could potentially benefit the 67-year-old independent candidate and former governor Cuomo.
“There is no doubt that the higher the voter turnout, the more advantageous it is for Cuomo,” said Stephen Graves, CEO of Gothamist polling, “Higher voter turnout can attract more independents, who tend to have lower participation rates, which is favorable for moderates.”
Data from the city’s Board of Elections shows that approximately 164,000 voters turned out to polling stations on Saturday and Sunday, with voters aged 50 and above casting 95,000 ballots, a significant increase compared to the nearly 67,000 ballots cast in the two days leading up to the Democratic primary in June.
In the primary, Queens socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani unexpectedly defeated veteran Democrat Cuomo, securing the Democratic nomination for the mayoral election with the enthusiasm of young voters. This past weekend, prominent Democrats who had been silent, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also voiced support for Mamdani.
“The reality is that Mamdani has strong support among young people, but his support base is not broad, while Cuomo has deep support among the 50 and above age group, who are often the most engaged,” said Graves, highlighting a key aspect of this election, “Many of Cuomo’s voters are not necessarily voting for him out of favor, but rather to oppose Mamdani.”
Graves predicts that voter turnout for the New York City mayoral election typically hovers around 1.1 million people and he anticipates that this election could attract as many as 1.7 million voters. He believes that if the voter turnout reaches between 1.6 and 1.8 million, it would certainly be “helpful” for Cuomo.