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Andrew Cuomo encourages New Yorkers to 'vote on Election Day even if it's 100 degrees'
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Brigid Bergin
Published Jun 22, 2025
Modified Jun 22, 2025
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Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Brigid Bergin
Published Jun 22, 2025
Modified Jun 22, 2025
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New York City’s mayoral primary on Tuesday will land in the middle of a life-threatening heat wave — leaving some candidates worried about voter turnout.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is leading most polls ahead of the primary, said Sunday he had planned to vote early but now will cast his ballot Tuesday to encourage more New Yorkers to do the same.
“I think it's more important now to promote 'vote on Election Day even if it's 100 degrees,’” Cuomo told reporters.
But he added: “I do not know the extent that the Adams administration has done the obvious and necessary things that should be done — cooling centers, precautions, et cetera — that any competent administration would do.”
City emergency management officials have for days been warning of the extreme heat forecast through Wednesday, and opened up community cooling centers starting Sunday. Mayor Eric Adams is seeking reelection in the November general election and is not running as a Democrat in the crowded primary race.
Early voting ends Sunday, and polls will be closed Monday as the city Board of Elections gears up for Primary Day. Temperatures are expected to reach the triple digits Tuesday when accounting for humidity, prompting local and state officials to urge people to remain in air-conditioned spaces and avoid strenuous activity as much as possible.
The Board of Elections previously reported just under half of the city’s 1,213 voting sites have functioning air conditioners, according to the Daily News. Election officials said they would provide fans and steady drinking water at poll sites lacking air conditioners. More than 35,000 poll workers are signed up to work Primary Day, according to the board.
“New Yorkers are tough — nothing stops them from making their voices heard. We know that spirit well," Vincent Ignizio, the board's deputy executive director, said in a statement. "That’s why the Board of Elections, along with our government partners, is working around the clock to ensure every polling site is prepared for the heat."
As of late Sunday afternoon, elections officials said roughly 360,000 people had cast ballots in the first nine days of early voting, or about double the number at the same point in the 2021 mayoral primary. Public data shows that represents roughly 12% of the city's 3 million active registered Democrats.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jay Engle said voters should try to go to their polling places early in the morning or later in the evening Tuesday to avoid peak temperatures in the afternoon. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Engle said it’s unusual for the city to see such brutal temperatures this early in the summer.
“ It's not like this has never happened, but it is rare,” he said. “We've only hit 100 degrees less than a handful of times in New York City in the month of June.”
According to the weather service, voters waiting in line outside should drink plenty of water even if they’re not thirsty, stand in the shade as much as possible and wear lighter-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Brigid Bergin
Brigid Bergin is an award-winning senior reporter on the People and Power desk. She is fiercely committed to telling stories that help people engage and support democracy. In 2022, she hosted a live, ten-week call-in politics show ahead of the midterm elections called The People's Guide to Power. Brigid's reporting in 2017 included some of the first coverage of a political newcomer now known as AOC. In 2016, she broke the news of a voter purge in Brooklyn just days before New York’s presidential primary, triggering city, state and federal investigations. Brigid also guest hosts The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. She graduated from the University at Albany and the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-723-4719.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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