Day 1 of early voting in NYC mayor’s race attracts tens of hundreds of New Yorkers to the polls

Voters in New York Metropolis hit the polls Saturday as early voting acquired underway.

In keeping with unofficial, preliminary numbers from the Board of Elections, almost 80,000 voters checked in throughout all 5 boroughs.

Greater than 24,000 folks forged their votes in Manhattan, adopted by Brooklyn with simply over 22,000, Queens with simply over 19,000, the Bronx with almost 8,000 and Staten Island with slightly below 6,500.

“‘Trigger I do not need the machines to be down on Election Day, so I get out right here early,” Bronx voter Terri H. stated.

NYC mayoral election is make or break for some voters

Voters who spoke to CBS Information New York stated problems with concern are affordability, immigration, faculties, homelessness, crime and policing.

For some early voters, this election is make or break. They are saying if the candidate they voted for would not win, they might haven’t any alternative however to maneuver out of town.

“I’ve like 5 buddies that already left New York as a result of they could not afford it,” Bronx resident Lansana Keita stated. “Relying on who gained, I am gonna stick it out for an additional 12 months.”

Ballots additionally include six questions about matters together with reasonably priced housing and transferring native elections to presidential years to spice up voter turnout.

For now, voters agree this election holds weight in the way forward for town.

“I really feel form of, you realize, tense about this one,” Manhattan voter Bonnie Shapiro stated.

“It is a powerful one. It is a troublesome one,” Manhattan voter Luis Santeiro stated.

“Extra folks voting, extra folks collaborating, that is what it is all about. We get higher outcomes, I feel,” Harlem voter Ian Inexperienced stated.

Candidates on the marketing campaign path as early voting begins

All three candidates made public appearances on Saturday.

“Marketing campaign will get critical immediately. New Yorkers begin to focus,” impartial candidate Andrew Cuomo stated.

The previous governor introduced an endorsement from the United Clergy Coalition.

“You need to construct reasonably priced housing? Associate with the faith-based neighborhood. You need to do psychological well being companies, community-based psychological well being companies? Do it with a faith-based neighborhood. Financial growth with the faith-based neighborhood,” he stated.

He additionally emphasised he believes he is the one candidate certified for the submit.

“You want a mayor who can do the job. It is between me and Mamdani. You recognize I can do the job, and that is about saving the Metropolis of New York,” Cuomo stated.

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa voted early, remaining defiant that he is staying within the race.

“In the present day, I forged my vote for myself and the Republican line, straight down the road,” he stated. “In the present day, it needs to be the final time we hear that Curtis Sliwa ought to drop out.”

He additionally took pictures at his competitors.

“So let the folks determine. They’ve a alternative. The 2 corrupt ones now that they are like Siamese twins, Cuomo and Adams. Zohran Mamdani, who, as I stated, you possibly can put his resume on a cocktail serviette, and Curtis Sliwa, who all people is aware of, whether or not you want me, you do not like me, you realize I’ve served the folks of New York for over 46 years,” Sliwa stated.

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani met with enterprise leaders in Brooklyn.

“I will be voting on Election Day. And my message to early voters, of which I’ve already met a quantity, is that that is our alternative, it continues to be. One to make the costliest metropolis in america of America reasonably priced,” he stated. “And it has been so thrilling to satisfy so many New Yorkers who’ve already completed so, casting their vote for the one marketing campaign that really has a imaginative and prescient for the way forward for what this metropolis will be, not simply redirecting ourselves to considering solely of the previous.”

Early voting ends Nov. 2, and Election Day is Nov. 4.