If you were standing in line at 8:59 PM on November 4, 2025, you were part of history. It was the night the nyc mayoral election polls close at 9:00 PM sharp, and honestly, the atmosphere was electric in a way the city hasn't seen in decades. We aren't just talking about a routine handoff of power here. We are talking about the moment the city pivoted from the era of Eric Adams to the historic, record-breaking ascent of Zohran Mamdani.
A lot of people think that once those poll doors lock, the story ends. It doesn't. In New York, that’s just when the real drama starts, especially with Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and the mountain of absentee ballots that usually follow. But 2025 was different. It was fast. It was decisive. And it was a massive wake-up call for the political establishment.
What Actually Happened When the NYC Mayoral Election Polls Closed
The 2025 election wasn't your typical low-turnout affair. For the first time since 1969, more than two million New Yorkers cast a ballot. That is a staggering number. Usually, mayoral races feel like a foregone conclusion once the primary is over, but because Andrew Cuomo jumped back in as an independent, the general election actually mattered.
When the clock struck 9:00 PM, the Board of Elections (BOE) began the frantic process of feeding those scanning machines into the central system. If you've never seen the back-end of a NYC election, it’s a mix of high-tech digital reporting and old-school paper trails. By 9:30 PM, the first "unofficial" results started trickling in from the heavy-hitter precincts in Brooklyn and Queens.
The Numbers That Defined the Night
While we usually wait days for a "call," the margin for Mamdani was so significant that outlets like CBS and the Associated Press were comfortable making the projection before most people had even finished their post-voting pizza. Here is how the final, certified tally eventually shook out:
Zohran Mamdani (Democrat/Working Families): 1,114,184 votes (50.8%)
Andrew Cuomo (Independent): 906,614 votes (41.3%)
Curtis Sliwa (Republican): 153,749 votes (7.0%)
It was the closest mayoral race since 2009, but 50.8% is a clear mandate in a city this divided. Mamdani didn't just win; he became the first candidate in over half a century to crack the one-million-vote mark.
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Why the Poll Closing Time is Such a Big Deal
In New York, the law is simple: if you are in line by 9:00 PM, you get to vote. Period. In 2025, we saw lines stretching around blocks in Astoria and Bushwick well past the official "close." This "late surge" is often where the progressive candidates pick up their steam—younger voters and service workers who can't get to the polls until the very last minute.
The 9:00 PM cutoff is also the "blackout" trigger for media outlets. Before that time, they aren't supposed to release exit poll data that might discourage people from showing up. Once the polls close, the floodgates open. In 2025, the exit polls showed something fascinatng: Mamdani won the under-35 vote by an absolute landslide. That’s what carried him over the finish line when Cuomo was leading in early-evening "Boerum Hill and Upper East Side" projections.
The Eric Adams Exit and the Chaos Before the Close
You can't talk about the polls closing without talking about the guy who wasn't even on the main stage that night. Eric Adams, the incumbent, had a wild 2025. After his legal battles and the federal investigations that dominated 2024, he actually tried to run as an independent after exiting the Democratic primary.
But by late September 2025, the writing was on the wall. He dropped out officially on September 28, citing a lack of funds and a clear lack of a path to victory.
"I cannot continue my re-election campaign," he said in that now-famous social media video. It was a somber end to a turbulent term. Because he dropped out so late, his name actually stayed on the physical ballots in many precincts. He ended up with about 6,800 "protest" votes from die-hard supporters, a tiny fraction that had zero impact on the final outcome.
The Cuomo Comeback That Wasn't
Andrew Cuomo is nothing if not persistent. After losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June—a primary that used Ranked Choice Voting to eventually hand Mamdani a 56% to 44% win—Cuomo didn't pack it in. He launched the "Fight and Deliver" party.
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He leaned hard into his old "tough on crime" and "experienced hand" rhetoric. He even got an endorsement from Donald Trump, though Cuomo famously told reporters he didn't want it.
When the nyc mayoral election polls close, Cuomo’s camp was hopeful that the "silent majority" of moderate New Yorkers would carry him through. It didn't happen. The city had moved on. The focus on affordability—free buses, rent freezes, and city-owned grocery stores—resonated more with a population struggling with a $4,000 average rent than Cuomo's nostalgia for 2020 press conferences.
The Role of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)
Wait, did RCV happen in the general? No. That’s a common misconception.
In New York City, Ranked Choice Voting is only for primaries and special elections.
- The Primary (June): This is where RCV lives. You rank your top five. If no one gets 50%, the bottom person is cut, and their votes move to the next person on those ballots. This is how Mamdani eventually beat out Brad Lander and Scott Stringer to face Cuomo head-to-head in the final round of the primary.
- The General (November): This is old-school "First Past the Post." One person, one vote. Whoever gets the most wins.
Because Mamdani cleared 50% in the general, the argument over whether he had a "majority" was settled immediately. No need for weeks of counting or legal challenges.
Historical Perspective: How 2025 Compared to the Past
New York loves a good "upstart" story. Mamdani, at 34, became the youngest mayor since 1892. He’s the first Muslim mayor. The first South Asian mayor.
When you look back at the 2021 election, Eric Adams won the general with nearly 67% of the vote. But he was running against Curtis Sliwa (who seems to run every time) in a year where the Democratic nomination was the only game in town. In 2025, because Cuomo ran as a serious independent, the vote was split in a way that made every percentage point feel like a battle.
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What Happens Now?
Mamdani was sworn in on January 1, 2026. If you're looking at the fallout of the 2025 election today, you’re seeing the "relentless improvement" agenda in action. He’s already nominating people like Rafael Espinal to the Office of Media and Entertainment and pushing for a 2% tax on New Yorkers making over a million dollars.
But the 2025 election isn't technically "over" for everyone. There are still special elections popping up to fill the seats of people who moved into the new administration.
Actionable Insights for the Next Election Cycle
If you missed the boat in 2025 or found yourself confused when the nyc mayoral election polls close, here is how to stay ahead for the 2026 midterms and beyond:
- Check Your Registration Early: New York has some of the most annoying registration deadlines in the country. Don't wait until October. Use the NYC Board of Elections portal to verify your status now.
- Study the Primary vs. General Rules: Remember that you can only vote in a party primary if you are a registered member of that party. If you're "Independent," you're sitting out the June RCV drama.
- Early Voting is Your Friend: In 2025, early voting sites had almost zero wait times compared to the 50-minute slog on Election Day. The 2026 primary early voting period runs from June 13 to June 21.
- Track the Money: Using the NYC Campaign Finance Board site lets you see who is actually funding the candidates. In 2025, Mamdani's small-dollar donor surge was a massive indicator of his eventual win.
The 2025 NYC mayoral election proved that the city's political landscape is shifting. The old dynasties are gone, and a new, younger, more progressive era has officially begun. When the polls closed that night, it wasn't just the end of a race—it was the start of a completely different New York.
Keep an eye on the June 23, 2026, primary elections. Those polls will close at 9:00 PM too, and if history is any guide, they'll be just as unpredictable as the last round.