Early voting began in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, with New York City recording 86,215 ballots across its five boroughs on the first day, according to the city’s Board of Elections. The turnout was nearly double that of the first day of early voting in the 2022 gubernatorial and midterm elections. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani cast his ballot at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and reaffirmed his support for Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection. Hochul campaigned with Erie County Democrats in Buffalo before voting, while Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman criticized Hochul and Mamdani during his campaign activities.
Meanwhile, an early voting site at Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County, New Jersey, was evacuated Saturday morning following reports of a potential bomb threat. Law enforcement officials searched the site and confirmed that no bomb had been found, allowing the location to reopen. The incident temporarily disrupted voting operations but did not result in the discovery of an explosive device.
According to the announced schedule, polling locations in New York City were set to reopen Sunday at 9 a.m., while early voting sites in New Jersey were scheduled to open at 10 a.m. The strong initial turnout in New York City highlighted voter participation ahead of the November 3 general election, while the incident in New Jersey underscored the importance of security measures at polling locations.