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We still have a few months to go until the next mayoral election on November 4 but if you're looking to switch your political party affiliation, you only have a few more days to do so.
As noted in a cheeky X video posted by mayoral candidate Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, New Yorkers have until this Friday, February 14, Valentine's Day, to register for their preferred party.
"June 24 is around the corner, but you're ineligible if you're not a Democrat" says Mandami on camera, referring to the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary.
As explained by Gothamist, "registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 6 to 1 in New York City, and the winner of the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary has a high likelihood of prevailing in the general election."
As a result, and given the fact that a voter has to be registered to a specific party to vote in its primary, "enrolling more voters could boost a candidate’s odds of pulling ahead in Democratic and Republican races alike."
To put things in perspective: according to the New York State Board of Elections Data, over three million people in New York City are registered as Democrats—compared to just over 570,000 Republicans. That means that, even if every single registered Republican and one third of Democrats head to the polls this November and votes down political party lines, the Democratic candidate would win by a landslide.
To be fair, just over a million people are registered without party affiliation—a large block of voters that could sway an election.
All in all, the city tends to swing Democratic and early conversations about the upcoming elections pin current Mayor Eric Adams against the likes of state Senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramon, city Comptroller Brad Lander and, potentially, former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Find the instructions to register to vote or change your party affiliation before deadline right here.