This article is adapted from our May 1 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.
Dear New Yorkers,
Lately, readers have been asking us: Is there a way to “game” the ranked-choice voting system? With such a crowded race, are there any tricks to boosting your favorite candidate? What’s the strategy for who goes in spots two through five?
We are here to say there’s no magic to it.
Our colleague Rachel Kahn spent time talking to voting experts who said the only strategy really is the most straightforward one: rank your favorite candidate highest, rank only the folks you could live with in office, leave off anyone you really dislike — and try not to leave any ballot spot blank.
“New Yorkers are always looking for some special angle, and the thing about ranked choice voting is it’s designed to allow you to vote your values. This one just doesn’t have an angle,” voting advocate Susan Lerner told her.
Voters don’t have to scheme when it comes to ranked choice. But campaigns definitely do. Read more here about ranked choice voting strategy.
Also this week, the city Campaign Finance Board released their annual voter report, a trove of neighborhood-level information through this past November’s election. Some of the things that caught my eye:
There was a big spike in younger voters, with more than half of newly-registered ones being under 30.
Those young voters came out at higher rates for the general election than their age group did in previous races.
There’s also a steady rise in voters who aren’t affiliated with either party, which bars them from voting in primaries. As of 2024, there are more than 1 million registered unaffiliated voters.
And last year’s November election had a sharp increase in ballots left blank, which our Claudia Irizarry Aponte wrote about here.
A special thank you to the readers sending along photos of the campaign literature they’re seeing at home and in the streets. Keep ‘em coming! Send what you see to ask@thecity.nyc or by Signal or WhatsApp at (646) 391-2426.
— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team
What We’re Reading …
The city Campaign Finance Board has once again rejected Mayor Eric Adams’ request for campaign matching funds, as it significantly expands its investigation into Adams’ political fundraising following a trail of evidence revealed by THE CITY.Frank Morano was elected to the City Council, replacing former Councilmember Joe Borelli, in a special election on Staten Island this week. But his races aren’t over just yet: He’ll serve out the rest of Borelli’s term the rest of the year, but now has to win a Republican primary in June and the general in November to stay in office through 2026.A few weeks back, we told you about Mayor Adams’ kind of clunky choice for an independent party name. Now he’s trying out two different names as he petitions for November.New recommendations from the mayor’s charter review commission include creating nonpartisan primaries and moving municipal elections to even-years. If either of those moves forward, it would massively change the way New York votes.
What’s Ahead …
Days until the June primary: 54
May 8: Mayoral forum with the ACLU and NAACP focused on civil rights and liberties, moderated by FAQ NYC co-host Christina Greer, 6 p.m. at The Cooper Union. RSVP here.
May 14: Mayoral forum with the Five Borough Waterfront, moderated by THE CITY’s Samantha Maldonado, 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Register here.
May 15: Our local news friends at Hellgate and New York Focus are co-moderating a mayoral forum at The Public Theater, 8 p.m.
May 23: The next deadline for campaigns to publicly disclose their fundraising hauls. This will tell us who has the most and least cash on hand, and who is donating to each candidate.
May 30: The first Republican debate for the mayoral primary, hosted by NY1 in partnership with THE CITY. Details here.
Your Election Questions, Answered
❓Reader Lizzie M. asked: I think the public needs reminders about exact dates to vote — early and general!
Answer: Lizzie, you’re so right. Early voting starts June 14 and runs through June 22, and Primary Day is June 24. Also very important: The deadline to register to vote in the primary is June 14! Check if you’re registered here.
Have a question for our election team? Reply back to this email or send your questions to ask@thecity.nyc.
THE CAMPAIGN KICKER: N20? B9? The city’s Board of Election used a familiar bingo cage — and even had a bingo card — to randomly select the order candidate names will appear on the June ballot. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani will appear first on voter ballots in the Democratic mayoral primary.
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The post Gaming the Vote? The Strategy Behind Your Ballot’s Top Five appeared first on THE CITY – NYC News.
