New York early voting outpaces 2022 totals with two days remaining

New York has already surpassed the total early vote count from the entire 2022 midterm cycle.

As of October 29, the state had recorded 1,277,235 in-person early voters. This figure exceeds the 1,178,676 votes cast during all nine days of early voting in 2022 by 98,559 ballots, representing an 8.4 percent increase.

The surge began immediately after early voting opened. During the first three days of this cycle, 703,055 residents cast ballots, nearly double the 369,576 recorded in the same period in 2022. That initial three-day count represents a 90.2 percent jump compared to the previous midterm election.

New York City accounts for a large share of this volume. The city recorded 400,137 votes by Friday. Brooklyn led the five boroughs with 119,215 votes, followed by Manhattan with 110,908 and Queens with 95,982. The Bronx tallied 41,629 votes, and Staten Island recorded 32,403. In Brooklyn alone, early turnout rose by 81.3 percent compared to the first three days of 2022.

Suburban counties have shown even steeper growth. Suffolk County, home to the Hamptons, doubled its initial participation rate. The county logged 64,424 votes in the first three days, a 108.9 percent increase over 2022. Nassau County followed with 69,868 votes, up 73.8 percent. Together, these Long Island counties contributed 134,292 votes. Outside the city limits, total early voting in the first three days climbed from 241,820 in 2022 to 478,161 this year, a 97.7 percent gain.

Residents cited convenience and certainty as reasons for voting early. José, a Dominican voter in Harlem, said he avoided waiting until Election Day to ensure his voice was heard. He noted that the Hispanic vote is critical in this election. Carolina González, a Colombian voter also in Harlem, described the process as taking less than 15 minutes. She said the early option eliminated long lines and allowed voters to fit the task into their schedules.

The November 3 election will determine the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives and renew part of the Senate. In New York, voters will also select the next governor. Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul for the statehouse. Key congressional races in Nassau and Suffolk counties could influence the national balance of power. In District 3, Tom Suozzi faces Michael LiPetri Jr., while Laura Gillen contests Jeanine Driscoll in District 4. In Suffolk, Nick LaLota runs against Christopher Gallant in District 1, and Andrew Garbarino opposes Patrick Halpin in District 2.

Nationally, 35,351,107 early votes had been counted by 9:35 a.m. on October 28. Approximately 16.8 million were mail-in ballots and 18.5 million were in-person early votes. New York has 13.4 million registered voters, with 12.5 million listed as active on the state roll as of February 20, 2026.