Early voting underway in New York, New Jersey amid hotly contested mayor and governor races

Early voting is underway Saturday in New York and New Jersey with the public casting ballots in the hotly contested races for New York City mayor and New Jersey governor.

The New York State Board of Elections said early voters are given nine days to vote in person prior to Election Day, starting on Oct. 25 and ending Nov. 2. The race to become the next mayor of the Big Apple is drawing national attention.

On Friday, Democrat mayoral nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani scored an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Earlier this week, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent mayoral candidate, was formally endorsed by current New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

“Tomorrow, I vote on the first day of early voting,” Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa said Friday on “The Will Cain Show.” “That should put a nail into the coffin for anybody who thinks I’m dropping out.”

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Sliwa has been facing pressure to drop out of the race to boost the chances of Cuomo defeating Mamdani.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Division of Elections said every county in the state “will designate in-person early voting locations that will be open Saturday, October 25, 2025 – Sunday, November 2, 2025 (the in-person early voting period).

“In 2021, historic legislation established in-person early voting in New Jersey. This law makes our state even more voter-friendly and strengthens our democracy by expanding opportunities to exercise your right to vote.”

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In the Garden State, Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are competing for the governorship. Current Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy leaves office in January.

“Our polling’s looking good. I think we’re feeling really good right now,” Sherrill touted as she spoke with Fox News Digital after headlining a major party gathering this week in this northern New Jersey township.

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“I think we’re in a great position,” Ciattarelli also said in a Fox News interview after a campaign stop at a diner in Linden, New Jersey.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.