Outrage is erupting over New York City ballots that show Zohran Mamdani listed first and twice, still had Eric Adams listed on the ballot, and buried Andrew Cuomo in the bottom right corner
As polls opened across the five boroughs for the hotly contested mayoral race, conservatives and election watchdogs were outraged over what they call a deliberate attempt to cheat with a ballot design that they say favors Mamdani while trying to eliminate Cuomo.
In addition, voters are pointing to the fact that there is no ID required to vote in New York, a city in which 1 in 5 can’t speak English and nearly 40% were not born in the U.S.
People are warning that the ballots could suppress votes for Cuomo – by design.
Here are some election facts:
Unlike stricter systems in states like Texas or Florida, New York does not require a photo ID —a policy rooted in 2020 expansions but slammed by conservatives.
Officials from the New York City Board of Elections say the honor system is enough to keep illegal migrants from voting.
Under New York’s system, candidates endorsed by multiple parties get multiple slots on the ballot. Mamdani pops up twice—once under the Democratic line and again with the Working Families Party.
Critics say the extra line on the ballot confuses voters and amplifies left-leaning options, potentially taking support away from Cuomo’s single, hidden listing.
In a move his campaign calls “ballot burial,” Cuomo’s name is in the far-right bottom corner on the independent “Fight and Deliver” line—a position experts say draws fewer eyes than top-row slots.
While ballot order is set by lottery under state law, critics say this was by design – viewing it as a subtle sabotage against the only candidate that was credible challenge against Mamdani.
Cuomo’s team countered with a voter guide video, but the damage was done
