7 Key Voting Reforms Empowered 1M+ New Yorkers in 2025 Primary Elections

Ranked choice voting, early voting, and later voter registration deadline gave New Yorkers more say in how and when they made their voice heard

NEW YORK, NY (07/02/2025) (readMedia)-- Over one million New Yorkers cast their ballots in this year's primary elections, taking advantage of recent election reforms that the Let NY Vote coalition and Common Cause New York fought hard to pass into law - and which gave voters more say in how and when they made their voices heard. Common Cause New York and a broad coalition of groups championed these reforms to expand access to the ballot and give New Yorkers more opportunities to participate in our democracy, and now we know they are working!

"We're proud to see that so many of the million plus New Yorkers who cast their ballots in this election did so thanks to election reforms that Let NY Vote and Common Cause championed over the last 6 years from ranked choice voting, to early voting, to moving the registration deadline up," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. "We fought hard to deliver changes that would make it easier for people to participate in our democracy - and now, we're seeing the results."

For nearly a decade, Common Cause New York has worked to improve New York's elections. The Let NY Vote Coalition, of which Common Cause/NY is a founder, led campaigns to pass major election reforms in the State Legislature that have transformed the way in which New Yorkers vote. In addition to shepherding ranked choice voting to the ballot in 2019 and running massive voter outreach and education programs in 2021 and 2025, Common Cause New York was proud to help lead the fight to:

  • Bring early voting to New York
  • Move up the voter registration deadline from 25 days to 10 days before election day
  • Expand vote-by-mail
  • Allow pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-olds
  • Consolidate New York's primary dates
  • Move the party registration deadline to the same calendar year as the election instead of 13 months in advance

The composition of this year's electorate was unlike any previous one in New York City history. A staggering 40% of New Yorkers who voted early were under the age of 40, according to early voting data from the NYC Board of Elections, while one in four voters who cast their ballot had not voted in a Democratic primary in more than 12 years. Voters between the ages of 25 to 34 were the single largest share of the electorate for the first time in recent history. First-time voters also surged, with an estimated 22,000 who cast their ballot during the early voting period.

This year, voters took advantage of many of the recent changes to our election law, setting turnout records and increasingly utilizing different ways to vote. Here's how:

Ranked choice voting

In 2019, Common Cause/NY led the campaign to bring Rank Choice Voting to New York City, and voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure, adopting it by a margin of nearly 3-1. Since 2021, all New York City primaries and special elections for Mayor, Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough President and City Council use ranked choice voting.

This year, ranked choice voting empowered voters just as Common Cause New York hoped it would. New exit polling from Common Cause New York and FairVote showed that nearly all voters (96%) said their ballot was simple to complete, and that the vast majority of voters were enthusiastic about the experience - with 82% saying they ranked two or more candidates for Mayor. Voters were also more engaged and informed, with 81% saying they understand RCV extremely or very well. More than three quarters of respondents said they want to keep or expand RCV for future elections.

According to data from the Board of Elections, 95% of all voters in the Democratic primary chose one of the final two candidates for Mayor - a huge improvement over the old plurality system that allowed a Mayor to be elected without a majority of the vote. Voters also elected a primary winner with more votes than any previous election since 1989. RCV forced campaigns to expand beyond their immediate base and canvas voters often ignored by politicians - and who turned out in this year's elections.

Early voting

Voters also became more comfortable using early voting. During the early voting period, nearly 400,000 people voted early - more than twice as many New Yorkers cast their ballots early compared to 2021. Early voting represented more than 40% of all votes cast in this year's primaries, showing its continued growth among New Yorkers who recognize it as an opportunity to vote on their own schedule.

Changes to registration deadlines

In addition to expanding the early voting period for a full ten days, Let NY Vote and Common Cause also fought to change the voter registration deadline from 25 days to 10 days before an election. This change established one "Golden Day" where New Yorkers can register to vote and cast their ballot on the same day. The coalition fought to change the deadline to switch parties for voters who are already registered to vote, which was previously a full 13 months before the election.

These changes were crucial for many of the first-time voters and the growing unaffiliated voter population in New York City, many of whom likely intended to vote in the Democratic primary but would have otherwise been prevented from doing so due to New York City's closed primary system.

Common Cause and the Let NY Vote coalition worked to allow pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds. Since 2020, New Yorkers aged 16 years or older can pre-register to vote, and the Board of Elections will then automatically register those individuals to vote once they turn 18.

Vote By Mail

New Yorkers had the opportunity to vote by mail, thanks to even more recent legislation Common Cause New York fought to eliminate the requirement that voters provide a reason when requesting a mail ballot.

"The voter turnout data from the 2025 primaries shows exactly what groups like Common Cause and community-based organizations working with voters know: that when we pass legislation to make voting easy and accessible, and when we are able to educate our communities about these improvements, people will exercise their right to vote. We saw the impact of these key reforms as we helped our AAPI, immigrant and low-income community members register on Golden Day, vote for the first time ever, or vote early. We will continue working alongside Let New York Vote to ensure that all New Yorkers are able to vote easily and with confidence," said Carlyn Cowen, Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC).

"Ranked Choice Voting, the Golden Day of registration, and early voting have expanded access and made our elections more inclusive. In the June 2025 Democratic primary, over 1 million New Yorkers voted, including more than 400,000 early voters, more than double the number in 2021. These reforms are working. While we still have more work to do, we must focus on strengthening these initiatives through voter education and engagement before considering major changes. Any future reforms should be shaped with genuine input from New York City's diverse communities to ensure their success," said Karen Wharton, Democracy Coalition Coordinator, Citizen Action of New York.

"Our democracy is stronger, New York is stronger, when more people vote and have more opportunities to have their preferences heard. Early voting and ranked-choice voting both help make that happen - and we saw the benefits during this Primary Election. Early voting gives working people, especially for workers whose job schedules make it difficult for them to vote a real chance to cast their ballots. Ranked-choice voting helps ensure that election results better reflect what voters actually want, especially in crowded races like the ones we had this year," said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

"Democracy only works when no one is left behind. This primary election showed what's possible when bold voting rights reforms meet real community power. Our diverse, working-class AAPI communities are eager to be seen, now more than ever. Reforms like early voting, Ranked Choice Voting, and the establishment of "Golden Day" gave our communities access we've long been denied. At the MinKwon Center and through the APA VOICE Coalition, we partnered with Common Cause and Let NY Vote to ensure our communities could benefit from these changes. And it worked: our communities turned out in record numbers, many voting for the first time. We'll keep fighting to bridge the language gap, expand access, and push for deeper reforms-because democracy only works when it works for all of us," said John Park, Executive Director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action, Convener of APA VOICE.

"The League of Women Voters of New York State is proud to be a member of the LetNYVote coalition which spearheaded voting reforms in NYS in 2019. The longstanding mission of the League is to inform voters, and create an engaged electorate that develops a habit of voting. We are thrilled that reforms we championed were enthusiastically embraced by NYC voters in the recent Primary," said Kate Doran, Election Specialist, League of Women Voters of the City of New York.

"The past two weeks have been an exciting time to be a young New Yorker. From record-setting early voting numbers to a historic surge of first-time and Gen Z voters in this year's NYC primary, young people are reshaping New York's democracy and proving that our generation is a force to be reckoned with. Over the past several years, Generation Vote and the Let NY Vote Coalition have advocated for and passed reforms like early voting, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, expanding vote by mail, and more. All of these reforms were focused on increasing access to the ballot not only for young people, but for all voters. And our hard work is paying off. In New York City's 2025 mayoral primary, voters under 40 made up 40% of early voters, and 18- to 29-year-olds led turnout, a huge jump from 2021 when only 18% of young people voted in the primary. When we pass pro-voter reforms that increase access to the ballot for young voters, our generation shows up and helps to build a stronger democracy for all in New York," said Brendan Cushing, Managing Director for Generation Vote.

"We are proud of the work we have to done train our communities on ranked-choice voting (RCV), promote early voting, and mobilize voters during the Golden Day of registration. Engaging low-propensity voters and providing meaningful civic education, helped to demonstrate that when reforms like RCV are paired with outreach and access, our democracy responds. Compared to 2021, twice as many New Yorkers took advantage of early voting this year, and a third fewer of the ballots were exhausted. With the highest turnout in decades, it's clear that investing in our communities leads to a more energized, informed, and representative electorate," said Joan Alexander, Steering Committee, NY BIPOC Democracy Table.

"This year's record primary turnout proves what we've long believed: when are elections are fair, accessible, and inclusive, New Yorkers show up," said Grace Rauh, Executive Director of Citizens Union. "Citizens Union has proudly championed reforms like ranked choice voting and early voting because they give people greater representation in our elections. These numbers are not just statistics-they're a sign that progress is possible when we put voters first."