Live blog: New York Election Day 2025

9:30 a.m. – Mamdani flips on even-year elections

He struck a different tone in the Assembly

All eyes were on how Zohran Mamdani would vote on contentious housing ballot proposals, but his decision on the sixth measure to move city elections to even years is perhaps more interesting. Mamdani voted against a proposal to start the process to move elections to even years on Tuesday. He didn't seem to hold the same belief when he voted to move other municipal elections in the past.

Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, Mamdani said he was particularly moved by a column in the online news and culture site New York Groove. “I found the arguments in opposition to No. 6 to be quite compelling, especially those making the case for New Yorkers to have a distinct opportunity to weigh their future,” Mamdani said. It was so compelling, it caused him to offer a different opinion than two years ago.

As an Assembly member in 2023, Mamdani voted in favor of a law to move county and town elections from odd years to even years. The state's highest court recently upheld the law, leading Republicans to file a new federal challenge to overturn it.

The arguments against moving municipal elections are not new, with critics long saying that local races would get overshadowed by federal ones to the detriment of voters. Apparently, Mamdani didn't find such appeals persuasive until it could impact one of his own races – and potentially his total time in office. All town and county elected officials in office when the switch occurs starting next year will see their total tenure cut by one year. It’s not clear exactly how the New York City initiative, which would need to make it through a lengthy legislative process, would change Mamdani’s term limits, though there has been speculation that it could lengthen his time in office. – Rebecca C. Lewis

8:30 a.m. – Mamdani fires back at Trump

Trump dropped a Cuomo endorsement Monday night

After President Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo on Monday night, Mamdani criticized Trump’s funding threats. “What we see in the language of Donald Trump is a premise as if it is his decision on whether or not to fund … the very money this city is owed,” Mamdani said, addressing a large crowd of reporters early Tuesday morning. “I look forward to utilizing every single tool at my disposal to fight for the people – that means using the courts, that means using the bully pulpit, that means ensuring that we actually following the letter of the law.”

Zohran Mamdani responds to President Donald Trump’s latest threats to not give federal funding to New York City if he is elected, saying he will “fight for every single dollar this city is owed.” pic.twitter.com/KfHBRCuUO8

— Sahalie Donaldson (@SahalieD) November 4, 2025

The Republican president made his feelings known in a Truth Social post, where he said he would withhold federal funds from the city if the 34-year-old democratic socialist wins the mayoral race. He’s threatened to do as much before, but that wasn’t all. The post also doubled as an endorsement for Cuomo – and a warning not to vote for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice,” Trump wrote. “You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!” – Sahalie Donaldson

8 a.m. – Mamdani votes in favor of ballot proposals 1-5

The big reveal

Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani voted in favor of a series of contentious housing-related ballot measures, at last taking an 11th hour position on the politically-fraught issue. 

“We urgently need more housing to be built across the five boroughs, and we also need to ensure that that housing is high quality, creating high quality union jobs,” Mamdani told reporters Tuesday morning outside his poll site at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria. “And I also understand that there are council members in opposition to these measures, and their opposition is driven by commitment to their communities and a deep concern about investment in those communities and I share the commitment to that investment. I look forward to working with them and delivering.” 

For weeks, Mamdani has been evasive about where he stands on the questions, which are aimed at making it easier to build more housing amid the city’s dire shortage, but would weaken the City Council’s power over some projects. With allies on both sides of the debate, the calculus of whether to support or oppose them – and when – has been complex. But with Election Day underway, the decision could wait no longer. Mamdani said he voted in favor of ballot proposals one through five. The lone proposal he voted against was No. 6, which would move city elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, bringing them in alignment with higher-profile federal elections. Read more here. - Story by Sahalie Donaldson

5 a.m. – Early voter turnout has already broken records

Juggernaut early voting for an off-year election

Over 735,000 New Yorkers hit the polls over the nine days of early voting according to data from the city Board of Elections, shattering records and capturing headlines. Altogether, turnout ahead of Election Day was the highest it had been in a non-presidential election year since early voting was implemented by the city in 2019. Juxtaposed against the over 5.3 million registered New York City voters, that’s 14% turnout so far. Some analysts are already speculating that early voting numbers could signal that overall turnout may approach a staggering 2 million.

While there’s plenty on the ballot beyond the mayoral race, there’s no denying that the three-way contest between front-runner Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has energized New Yorkers. General elections for New York City mayor have historically been a far more muted affair, but this election cycle has been anything but ordinary. 

Manhattan has led turnout so far followed by Brooklyn. And as far as age goes, baby boomers – New Yorkers born between 1946 and 1964 – have led turnout by casting about 29% of early votes. While millennial turnout initially struggled, it recovered toward the end of early voting. As of Sunday, these New Yorkers closed out with about 28% of the early vote, according to The City. – Sahalie Donaldson