Early voting kicks off in New York mayor’s race, Zohran Mamdani ahead in polls

Early voting in the New York City mayoral race began Saturday, with voters in the city beginning to cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 4 general election, the New York Post reported. The contest will determine whether the city, often referred to as the “capital of capitalism”, will be governed by a socialist for the first time in history. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a Queen’s Councilwoman and self-described socialist, is one of the candidates to replace Mayor Eric Adams. According to the New York Post, if elected, Mamdani will manage New York City’s $115 billion budget and a workforce of approximately 300,000 people.

Mamdani’s leadership is strengthened by the presence of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa; Both are expected to split support between moderate and conservative voters.

Mayor Adams, a centrist Democrat, suspended his tough re-election campaign last month after a federal investigation but was cleared of corruption allegations, the New York Post reported. Despite his withdrawal, Adams remains on the ballot as an independent alongside attorney Jim Walden. New York City’s 5.1 million registered voters will be able to participate in early voting at designated polling places through November 2.

According to the New York Post, voting hours vary; most sites are open from 9am to 5pm (local time), except October 28th and October 29th (10am to 8pm) and October 31st (8am to 4pm). The mayoral campaign focused on important issues like crime, homelessness, affordability and policies regarding Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Citing a recent poll conducted by Victory Insights, the New York Post said Mamdani has a lead over Cuomo, with a 46.7 percent share compared to Cuomo’s 28.6 percent, with Sliwa trailing behind with 16.2 percent. The poll also found that 26.5 percent of respondents considered leaving the city if Mamdani, 34, wins and would likely become New York City’s youngest mayor in more than a century. Earlier Friday, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani’s candidacy for mayor of New York.

The approval comes after months of internal party debate and just before early voting begins today. In a statement, Jeffries noted that Mamdani, along with Mark Levine and Jumaane Williams, secured the Democratic nomination for Mayor, Treasurer and Public Advocate through a “free and fair election” and affirmed his support for Mamdani and all citywide Democratic candidates in the upcoming election.

“Zohran Mamdani has been relentlessly focused on finding solutions to the economic crisis and has publicly committed to being Mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who did not support his candidacy. Along with Mark Levine and Jumaane Williams, they won the nominations for Mayor, Comptroller, and Public Advocate in a free and fair election. In that spirit, I support him and all citywide Democrats overall,” Jeffries said in a statement. “election” he said.

Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI.