The New York City Board of Elections announced the sample ballot for the mayoral general election on November 4th on September 17th. The positioning of the incumbent mayor Adams and former governor Cuomo on the ballot appears to be quite unfavorable, as they are placed towards the rear, while their main opponents Mamdani and Sliwa are positioned at the forefront, creating a stark contrast.
On the sample ballot, Mamdani is listed as the Democratic Party candidate in the first position and also appears as the Working Families Party candidate in the fourth position.
Sliwa is listed as the Republican Party candidate in the second position, and later appears under the independent political party named “Protect Animals” in the fifth position.
Ranked in the third position is the relatively lesser-known Conservative Party candidate Irene Estrada.
Adams appears at the end of the first row under his independent political party “Safe & Affordable,” next to the option for a write-in candidate.
After Cuomo suffered a significant defeat in the Democratic Party primary against Mamdani, he could only secure a spot in the second row under the independent political party “Fight and Deliver,” situated between the two lesser-known candidates Jim Walden and Joseph Hernandez.
Analysts told the New York Post that this arrangement is not favorable for Adams and Cuomo to turn the tide in the election, especially as Adams’ recent poll numbers continue to decline, leaving him with single-digit support. Cuomo’s momentum has also been dampened following his defeat in the primary.
Board of Elections spokesperson Vincent Ignizio explained that the ranking of candidates is based on state regulations. Candidates from major parties (Democratic, Republican, etc.) are listed first, while independent party candidates are listed in order of submission. Sliwa was the first to register, hence his placement at the top.
Last week, the Board of Elections officially certified the list of candidates, and absentee ballots were sent to voters starting on September 19th.