Americans Vote in 2025 Off-Year Elections Across Multiple States

Published NOV 4 2025

Story

Above: Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Astoria, New York City, on Nov. 4, 2025. Image credit: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Facts

Americans across the country headed to polling stations Tuesday for off-year elections, including gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia, mayoral races in major cities like New York and Detroit, state Supreme Court retention votes in Pennsylvania, and ballot measures in California and Mississippi.
The Hill
CNN
FOX News
New York City voters are choosing between three main candidates for mayor: state Assembly member Zohran Mamdani running as the Democratic nominee, former Governor Andrew Cuomo as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, with polls closing at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
BBC News
MS Now
FOX News
Voter turnout in New York City reached historic levels with nearly 1.2 million people having voted by noon local time, including a record 735,000 early voters, according to the NYC Board of Elections, with projections suggesting total turnout could approach 2 million.
New York Post
Al Jazeera
California voters are deciding on Proposition 50, a ballot measure allowing lawmakers to temporarily bypass the state's independent redistricting commission to create new congressional maps before 2026, with polls closing at 11 p.m. Eastern time.
The Hill
MS Now
Detroit held its first open mayoral race in 12 years between City Council President Mary Sheffield and pastor Solomon Kinloch, both Democrats, with polls closing at 8 p.m. Eastern time and approximately 518,000 registered voters eligible to participate.
PBS NewsHour
The Washington Examiner
Pennsylvania voters face retention elections for three Supreme Court justices, Texas is filling a late congressional vacancy in Houston, and Mississippi voters weigh legislative races under newly drawn maps after a federal Voting Rights ruling.
The Hill
BBC News

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Trump looms over Election Day 2025 as a test of his second-term agenda. His support has energized Republican turnout in tight gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, while Democrats aim to hold New York City’s mayoralty, California’s Proposition 50, and Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. The results are shaping up as an early gauge of his influence heading into the 2026 midterms.

FOX News

Narrative B

Election Day 2025 could reshape the trajectory for emerging 2028 contenders. A win for New York City’s mayoral frontrunner or passage of California’s Proposition 50 would give Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez high-profile victories to showcase leadership and influence. Analysts say the results may accelerate their national profiles while signaling momentum for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms.

Los Angeles Times