Today is Election Day! Here's What Voters Can Expect.

NEW YORK, NY (06/24/2025) (readMedia)-- Today is Election Day! Depending on where they are registered, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote for their party's candidate for Mayor, City Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough President, District Attorney, City Council, and County Judges. New York City primaries are closed, meaning that only individuals registered with a political party can vote in that party's primary election. Find your poll site here.

"For years, we fought to bring early voting to New York because it's a game changer for voters who no longer have to choose between getting to work on time or exercising their democratic rights. We're thrilled to see so many voters take advantage of it. For those who are planning to vote today, we encourage them to take precautions and plan for a safe trip to the polls today," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York. "Ranked choice voting gives every voter more choice and more voice. Voters can trust that our elections are safe, secure and transparent, and can call the free hotline at 1-866-OURVOTE with any questions. Now it's time to get out and the ranked vote!"

Susan Lerner is available all day for comment.

Once polls close, voters can expect to know the final results in the next few weeks. Election night results will include all first-choice ballots cast on Election Day and during early voting, as well as valid absentee and vote by mail ballots that have been received throughout early voting. However, election night results are not complete. The Board of Elections will run the first RCV simulation one week after Election Day, with all votes collected and verified as of that date.

After Election Day, the Board of Elections will continue to verify outstanding absentee, affidavit, and mail ballots before tabulating final votes. The deadline for receipt of absentee and vote by mail ballots mailed and postmarked no later than June 24th is Tuesday, July 1st and these ballots will continue to be counted as they are received. Until the results are final, we caution against candidates declaring victory too early in close races.

Since 2021, all New York City primaries and special elections for Mayor, Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough President and City Council use ranked-choice voting. Here's how it works and what to expect:

• New Yorkers can rank up to five candidates from first to last choice on their ballot. If voters want to vote for just one candidate, they still can!
• Once all votes are in, ballots are counted in "instant runoff rounds." A candidate who collects a majority of the vote, fifty percent plus one, wins. If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the first choice preferences, the candidate with the fewest first choice preferences is eliminated and voters who ranked that candidate first have their ballots instantly counted for their second choice preference. The process is repeated until there's a final pair with a majority winner.
• Ranked choice voting changes our elections because it forces candidates to compete beyond their base and pay attention to every community.
• Ranked choice voting also gives voters more choice and more voice, ensures candidates win with a clear majority instead of a plurality, and saves the City money by avoiding costly runoffs.

In June 2021, nearly one million New Yorkers made history by voting in the largest and most diverse Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) election in the country. Voters embraced RCV, with 83% of voters ranking at least two candidates on their ballots in the mayoral primary. Read more about New Yorkers' support for ranked choice voting here.

Before heading to the polls, Common Cause/NY encourages all voters to familiarize themselves with their rights, and to report any misconduct to 886-OUR-VOTE, a national election protection hotline. Here's what to know:

• Our election system is safe and secure.
• Polling sites are open 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Election Day. Do not leave your poll site without casting your ballot, whether that means placing it into a scanner or voting by affidavit ballot (also known as a provisional ballot)!
• When in doubt, call 1-866-OURVOTE: a free hotline of legal personnel can talk you through it from 7 am to 8 pm. Spanish, Arabic and Asian languages support are also available via the Election Protection website.
• You have the right to vote free of harassment. No matter who asks, you never need to show an ID in order to vote if you've voted in New York before. If someone asks for your ID, no matter who it is, simply let them know that you are not required to show ID in New York, except in limited circumstances for first time voters.
• Due to a change in election law, New Yorkers can no longer cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have been sent an absentee or vote by mail ballot and then decide to vote in-person. Voters will be directed to vote via affidavit ballot instead.