Breaking down New York City’s ranked choice voting system

Published June 17, 2025 3:08pm ET



New York City Democrats will choose their nominee for mayor in next week’s primary election. The city uses ranked choice voting, allowing voters to select up to five candidates in order of preference.

This year’s Democratic primary will have 11 candidates on the ballot, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, City Comptroller Brad Lander, Councilwoman Adrienne Adams, and several other candidates. 

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