Independent New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has generated some late momentum.
Having received both an endorsement from President Donald Trump and surprisingly strong polling numbers from the nation’s most accurate pollster, the state’s former Democratic governor appears poised to make a serious run at socialist and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, the race’s overwhelming favorite.
How unfortunate, therefore, if Cuomo sees his chances diminished by what one social media user called an “insane” ballot format.
First, the good news for Cuomo:
AtlasIntel, the nation’s most accurate pollster in recent cycles, released its final NYC mayoral poll on Monday. The result showed Mamdani leading with 44 percent support, but Cuomo is in striking distance at 39 percent.
Meanwhile, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa came in a distant third at 15 percent. Of course, should Sliwa voters follow Trump’s lead and vote for Cuomo, the former governor would pull the upset.
Now, the bad news:
Voters in search of Cuomo’s name might feel as if they have received not a ballot but an elaborate puzzle.
Whereas Mamdani’s name appears in the top left corner, followed by Sliwa’s, Cuomo’s name does not appear until the second line, which places it in the bottom right corner.
Should New York reconsider its ballot rules?
Moreover, the ballot includes the names of candidates who have withdrawn from the race, including current mayor Eric Adams.
Worst of all, the names of both Mamdani and Sliwa appear twice (!) on the ballot’s top line.
“New York City voters and candidates warn the voter’s ballot for New York City Mayor is so confusing it could siphon votes away from candidates,” Elizabeth MacDonald of Fox Business wrote last week on the social media platform X.
“You need Google Maps to navigate this ballot. If you thought NYC parking signs were confusing, wait till you see the ballot,” she joked.
NEWS New York City voters and candidates warn the voter’s ballot for New York City Mayor is so confusing it could siphon votes away from candidates. Andrew Cuomo is buried on the 2d line, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa are in the 1st two spots, and 2 candidates are still on… pic.twitter.com/drqSajLsbj
— Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) October 28, 2025
Author Christina Hoff Summers called the ballot simply “insane.”
He’s right. Here is the ballot. Insane. pic.twitter.com/1Yc9Lnma4D
— Christina Hoff Sommers (@CHSommers) November 4, 2025
According to WNYW in New York, the ballot looks the way it does because the Democratic and Working Families Parties have both endorsed Mamdani, whereas the Republican and Protect Animals parties have both endorsed Sliwa.
That does seem actually insane. If two parties endorse the same candidate, how difficult would it be not to duplicate that candidate’s name?
Others, like Adams, excited the race after the ballot printing deadline.
So what should voters make of all this? Do Cuomo supporters have cause to cry foul?
To a certain extent, yes, they do, simply because the ballot format should strike reasonable people as idiotic.
On the other hand, this race has received a lot of attention. Thinking people know that Mamdani’s socialist ideas would destroy the city. And thinking people have the ability to find Cuomo’s name even on this convoluted ballot.
As for the low-information voters who might struggle to find Cuomo’s name, they already plan to vote Democrat.
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