NYC Mayoral Race In Chaos After 135,000 Test Results Erroneously Counted

NYC Mayoral Debate
NYC Mayoral Debate

The Board of Elections of New York City had to backtrack after it erroneously tabulated 135,000 test ballots. The board will release updated vote tabulations in the NYC mayoral race primary on Wednesday.

The wrong figures on the NYC mayoral race appeared on the board’s website on Tuesday indicating that Eric Adams’ lead over two of his nearest rivals had narrowed significantly.

But the Board was forced to backtrack after journalists and the Brooklyn Borough President’s campaign managers pointed out that the total number of votes counted was close to 140,000 more than that on the night of the election on June 22.

This glitch was the latest in a long list of issues for the Board of Elections. They have come under repeated criticism from analysts and candidates. Even last year, officials took 6 weeks to count votes in 2 closely contested races to the congress.

NYC Mayoral Race Results Could Undercut Voters’ Confidence In Election Process

The NYC mayoral race error had brought civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley and the former chief of the city’s sanitation Kathryn Garcia within hailing distance of Adams’ total votes.

This blunder could cost voters confidence in the election process and the new ranked-choice voting system that is in use for the first time in the NYC mayoral race. This system allows voters to rank 5 candidates in order of preference, with 15 candidates contesting.

This is for the first time that the results will analyze multiple-preference of voters. But Wednesday’s tally at the NYC mayoral race does not include the 125,000 absentee votes that remain to be counted. This addition could alter the results. Election officials have said that it would be mid-July before the final results would be released.

Initial trends at the NYC mayoral race indicate that Adams had 31.7% of first-choice votes, Wiley was in second place with 22.2%, and Garcia closely behind with 19.5%.

Andrew Yang conceded after the former presidential candidate came in at fourth. The winner of this race will be the clear favorite against Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee and also the founder of the Guardian Angels civilian patrol group.