Honestly, the New York ballot 2025 was a bit of a fever dream. If you walked into the booth expecting the usual sleepy off-year election, you were probably in for a shock. It wasn't just about picking names; it was a total overhaul of how the city operates, wrapped in a mayoral race that felt more like a heavyweight title fight.
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist, basically shattered the status quo. He didn't just win; he became the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor in the city’s history. And he did it by taking down Andrew Cuomo—twice. First in the primary, then again in the general when Cuomo tried to stage a comeback on an independent line.
But looking past the big names, the real "meat" of the election was hidden on the back of the ballot. We had six major proposals that actually changed the rules of the game for housing and how we vote.
The High-Stakes Mayoral Rematch
The headline was the Mamdani vs. Cuomo vs. Sliwa showdown. People thought Cuomo’s name recognition would carry him, especially with moderate voters who were skeptical of Mamdani’s "progressive populism."
It didn't.
Mamdani pulled in over 1.1 million votes (about 50.8%). Cuomo trailed with roughly 41.3%, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican staple, grabbed 7%. What’s wild is the turnout. Usually, these local elections are ghost towns. Not this time. Over 2.2 million New Yorkers showed up, the highest turnout for a mayor's race since the '90s.
Who Else Won?
- Comptroller: Mark Levine (the former Manhattan Borough President) crushed it with 75% of the vote. He's now the guy watching the city's $115 billion wallet.
- Public Advocate: Jumaane Williams cruised to re-election with nearly 73%. He’s staying the city’s "ombudsman."
- City Council: Almost every incumbent kept their seat, but District 13 in the Bronx was the nail-biter. Shirley Aldebol flipped it back to Democratic control, ousting Republican Kristy Marmorato.
Those 6 Ballot Proposals You Probably Googled
If you were confused by the legal jargon on the back of the ballot, join the club. Proposals 2 through 5 were all about housing, and they passed with solid margins.
The Housing "Fast Track" (Props 2, 3, and 4)
The city is in a housing crisis. Everyone knows it. The 2025 ballot tried to fix the "red tape" problem.
- Proposal 2 created a "Fast Track" for affordable housing. Basically, it lets the city bypass some of the long-winded review processes if a project is 100% affordable and located in a neighborhood that hasn't built much lately.
- Proposal 3 simplified the review for "modest" housing changes. Think smaller buildings and infrastructure like flood protection.
- Proposal 4 was the controversial one. It created an Affordable Housing Appeals Board. This board (the Mayor, the Council Speaker, and the Borough President) can actually reverse a City Council "no" vote on housing projects. It’s a huge blow to "member deference," where local council members used to have total veto power over what got built in their backyard.
The Adirondack Land Swap (Proposal 1)
This was the only statewide question. It was a weirdly specific "land swap" in Essex County. The state wanted to use 323 protected acres for the Mount Van Hoevenberg Sports Complex (think Olympic-style skiing). In return, they promised to add 2,500 new acres to the Forest Preserve. It passed, but barely, with 52% of the vote. Some environmentalists hated the idea of "carving exceptions" into the "forever wild" clause of the constitution.
Moving the Clock (Proposal 6)
This one failed. The goal was to move local NYC elections to even-numbered years (when we vote for President) to save money and boost turnout. New Yorkers said "no" by about 53%. People were worried that local issues would get drowned out by the chaos of national politics.
What Actually Changed for You?
The New York ballot 2025 wasn't just a tally of wins and losses. It shifted the power dynamic in the city.
- Housing is going to move faster. With the new Appeals Board and Fast Track rules, expect to see more construction cranes in neighborhoods that used to block every project.
- Young voters are the new power brokers. The 18-29 demographic saw their turnout double compared to 2021. Mamdani’s win is proof that if you get young people to the polls, the "political machine" breaks.
- The Digital Map (Proposal 5). This sounds boring, but the city is finally digitizing 8,000 paper maps. This will (hopefully) stop the bureaucratic nightmare of builders having to visit five different borough offices just to check a property line.
Your Next Steps
If you want to keep tabs on how these changes actually affect your neighborhood, don't just wait for the next election.
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Check your local Community Board schedule. Proposals 2 and 3 still require Community Board review, and they are usually the first place developers present their plans. You can also track the new Affordable Housing Appeals Board meetings through the NYC City Record. Seeing how they use their power to overrule the City Council will be the biggest story of 2026.
Lastly, make sure your voter registration is up to date on the NY State Board of Elections site. The next big cycle might feel far away, but as 2025 proved, the rules can change in an instant.