New York General Election Overview | Anticipated Outcomes

Citizens of New York are set to cast their votes on a slew of contests and referenda during the general elections scheduled statewide for Tuesday.

Contenders for a myriad of positions are on the line, encompassing seats on the New York City Council, the state Supreme Court, and a host of mayoral and county executive posts across New York. Federal and state office elections are slated for the subsequent year.

A significant City Council race has been determined ahead of time.

Yusef Salaam, an advocate for criminal justice reform, is the sole candidate in the race for District 9 on the New York City Council. His candidacy comes unchallenged following his exoneration as one of the five falsely accused in the infamous “Central Park Jogger” case. After emerging victorious against two opponents in the primary on June 27, Salaam is poised to succeed Kristin Richardson Jordan, who opted not to seek re-election. Normally, council terms last four years, but due to special provisions in the city’s charter, the 2021 and 2023 elections will only confer two-year terms. Regular four-year term elections will recommence in 2025.

In addition, voters are to decide on the Queens district attorney position.

Across New York, the cities of Glen Cove, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rome, Utica, and Yonkers will be selecting their mayors. Meanwhile, in the counties of Erie, Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, and Suffolk, executive county leaders will be elected.

Voters will also face two propositions with state-wide implications on Tuesday. Proposition 1 proposes the elimination of the constitutional debt ceiling for small city school districts, whereas Proposition 2 seeks to prolong the exemption from this ceiling for sewage infrastructure projects.

Expectations for Election Day:

POLLING CLOSURE

The polling stations will shut at 9 p.m. EST.

BALLOT CONTENTS

Comprehensive coverage from The Big Big News is set for 59 electoral races across the state. This includes 37 races for the New York City Council, one local district attorney race, six contests for mayor, five county executive positions, eight Supreme Court seats, and a pair of statewide ballot initiatives.

ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE

Only voters who are registered in the jurisdictions that have elections are eligible to vote. The deadline for registration was October 28, with mailed registrations required to be postmarked by October 23. New York State does not provide for same-day registration on Election Day.

RESULTS DETERMINATION

The AP abstains from making early predictions and will only announce victors when it becomes apparent that no remaining vote count could bridge the gap for the runners-up. In instances where a call has not been made, the AP will cover any developments of interest, such as candidates conceding or claiming victory, clarifying that it has not made a formal declaration of a winner and providing the reasons.

Local elections in off-years often see lower voter turnout. In tightly contested races, the vote margin separating candidates can be slight, which might delay the declaration of results. A small volume of yet-to-be-counted absentee or provisional ballots could be pivotal in these scenarios.

An automatic recount is mandated in New York for any race receiving over 1 million votes if the victory margin is less than 5,000 votes. For smaller races, a recount is triggered if the victory margin is either less than or equal to 0.5%, or no more than 20 votes.

The AP is prepared to declare a winner in any race subject to a recount if it deems the current leader’s margin insurmountable by any recount or legal challenge.

VOTER TURNOUT AND EARLY VOTING

As of the last update, over 13 million individuals were registered voters in the state, with Democrats accounting for 49%, Republicans 22%, and independents 24%. The turnout for the previous general election stood at 45%.

Moreover, by the same date, upwards of 190,000 New Yorkers had already cast their votes. During the last general election, 26% of the state’s voters had voted in advance of Election Day.

VOTE COUNTING DURATION

In the prior general election, the AP commenced the release of results at 9:01 p.m. EST, just a minute after the polls closed. The tabulation on election night concluded by 2:50 a.m. EST, with approximately 96% of the votes tallied.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about New York general election

More about New York general election

• New York City Council Election Results
• Statewide Ballot Measures in New York
• New York Voter Registration Information
• Associated Press Election Reporting
• New York Election Laws and Recount Procedures
• Voter Turnout Statistics
• AP Preliminary Election Results Timing