(MENAFN- Live Mint) NYC Mayoral Polls 2025: New York City is heading to the Mayoral polls on Tuesday, 4 November. This will be the first occasion when voters will deliver judgment on President Donald Trump's second administration in the United States.

Surveys indicate a close contest in the NYC Mayoral race between Democrat Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo (Independent), and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Also Read | NYC Mayor Election Live: Mamdani slams Trump over spending of $300M on ball room

The election - widely viewed as a test of voter sentiment before next year's midterms - has turned out to be a major clash of ideologies. The campaign on all sides has been marked by heated debates, major endorsements, and a surge in early voting across all five boroughs.

The NYC Mayor is the city's chief executive officer who oversees about 40 city agencies and commissions, and is responsible for preparing and administering the city's annual budget.

The mayor of New York City is elected through a citywide popular vote. Here's a primer on the whole process:

1- Election Cycle

-The Mayor of New York City is elected for four years.

-Elections are held in odd-numbered years (2001, 2025).

-Elections are being held today, 4 November

2- Primary Elections

-New York City used party primaries first

-Each Political Party (Democratic, Republican) holds a primary election in June to choose a nominee for the Mayoral polls.

-Since 2021, NYC primaries have been held through ranked-choice voting (RCV), which gives voters options to rank up to five candidates in order of their preference rather than choose 1.

3- The Election Day

- The winners of each party's primary (plus independents) compete in the general election, one being held today. The three candidates in the fray are:

1)Zohran Mamdani - Democratic nominee and state Assembly member from Astoria, Queens.

Also Read | NYC mayor polls 2025: Date, time, key candidates, how can voters cast their vote

2)Andrew Cuomo - Former New York governor running as an independent

3)Curtis Sliwa - Republican nominee and founder of the Guardian Angels

-The results are decided by a simple majority. It means whoever gets the most votes citywide becomes mayor.

4- What is Ranked-Choice Voting?

The RCV or Ranked-Choice Voting means voters are allowed to rank multiple candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one.

NYC Mayoral Polls 2025: RCV or Ranked-Choice Voting means voters are allowed to rank multiple candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one.

In New York City, you can rank up to five candidates (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, 4th, and 5th).

5- How does it work?

First Round: All the first-choice votes are counted. If any candidate gets more than 50%, they win outright.

6- What if no one gets 50 per cent?

If no candidate receives the mandatory 50 per cent of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.

This process continues - the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated in each round, and votes are redistributed to the next preferred candidate on each ballot. Rounds continue until one candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the active votes.

7- What does RCV matter?

The RCV is said to encourage coalition-building and less negative campaigning, since candidates seek to become voters' second or third choices too. It also gives more weight to voter preferences and reduces the“spoiler” effect.

The RCV process of voting played a major role in the 2021 NYC mayoral race, where Eric Adams (Democrat) won after multiple rounds of counting.

8- Who votes to elect the NYC Mayor?

In New York City mayoral elections, the voters are primarily registered city residents who meet specific eligibility criteria.

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An eligible voter has to be:

-A US citizen

-Be a New York City resident (one of the five boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, or Staten Island) for at least 30 days before the election.

-Be at least 18 years old on Election Day.

-Be registered to vote by the state's registration deadline.

-Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction (in New York, people on parole can vote after completing parole).

-Not be declared mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

9- Do voters choose anyone else?

New York City voters don't just vote for mayor during a mayoral election year. They also elect several other citywide and local officials on the same ballot.

Here's what a typical NYC mayoral election ballot includes:

- Mayor: The head of the city government who oversees all agencies, budgets, and city policy.

- Public Advocate: Acts as a watchdog over city agencies and investigates complaints from the public.

- The Comptroller: The city's chief financial officer, is also elected. The person audits agencies, manages pension funds, and oversees spending.

Also Read | Cuomo pushes back against Trump's endorsement ahead of NYC mayoral election

- Borough-Level Offices (5 Boroughs): Borough Presidents (one for each: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island).

These office bearers are influential in zoning, budget recommendations, and community issues and are often stepping stones to higher offices. Many former borough presidents became mayors or Congress members).

- City Council Members: As many as 51 members elected from districts across NYC in Mayoral elections. These representatives make local laws, approve budgets, and hold the mayor accountable.

(With agency inputs)

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