New Yorkers turned out in droves over the weekend when early voting began in the Tri-State, setting a new record in the process.
On Saturday alone, 140,000 people cast ballots, with 70,000 people from Brooklyn and Manhattan arriving early at polling stations.
New York City received 257,860 votes in just two days. It was one of the greatest early voting turnouts on day one in the city’s history.
The early voting record comes as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump return to battleground areas in an effort to woo undecided voters.
Harris visited Michigan on Monday, while Trump went to Georgia after his big event at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Trump in his home state of New York, as he and his friends took the stage at the Garden in front of an estimated 19,000 supporters.
The rally included a number of heated remarks about women, Harris, Puerto Rico, and Democrats.
“And when I say the enemy is from within, the other side goes crazy,” Trump added during the gathering.
Harris discussed her political rival’s remarks before visiting a semiconductor factory.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Harris stated that the Sunday event “really highlighted the point that I’ve been making throughout this campaign,” namely that Trump is “fixated on his grievances, on himself, and on dividing our country, and it is not in any way something that will strengthen the American family or the American worker.”
State officials are prepared to deal with the division. Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke Monday in Flatbush about the state’s $140 million investment in modernizing electoral infrastructure, which includes enhanced security.
“This work is non-partisan; it’s not about who you vote for, and as governor, it’s my duty to protect the rights of every citizen to safely participate in our elections,” claimed Hochul.
Early voting resumed Monday morning at 8 a.m., and voters in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have until November 3 to cast their early ballots.
Any voters who have difficulty at the polls should contact the Attorney General’s Election Protection Hotline at 866-390-2992 or file a complaint online.
Check out our Voter Guide to learn more about what’s on the ballot in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
For election updates, please go to abc7ny.com/vote2024.
