NYC Early Voting Surges Nearly 60% Ahead of Midterm Election

Early voting in New York City drew 690,526 ballots during the nine-day period that ended Sunday, a 59.6% increase over the 432,634 who voted early in the 2022 contest between Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Lee Zeldin, according to unofficial city Board of Elections figures. This year's race pits Hochul against Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman. Queens posted the largest borough-level gain, jumping 83.4% from 88,840 to 162,914 voters, followed by the Bronx at 73.1%, rising from 39,069 to 67,630. Brooklyn led all five boroughs in raw volume with 219,536 early voters, a 62.3% increase, while Staten Island rose 45% and Manhattan 41%. Registered Democrats made up 75.8% of early voters, compared with 10.6% Republicans and 11.4% unaffiliated. Voters aged 50 and older accounted for 60.6% of the early electorate despite comprising just 46.6% of registered voters. On Staten Island, 43% of early voters were at least 65. Despite the strong 2022 comparison, the city's total fell about 6.1% short of the 735,317 who voted early in the 2025 mayoral race won by Zohran Mamdani. The Bronx was the only borough to exceed its 2025 pace, growing 15.3% year over year. Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.