Mamdani rallies aim to lift a low-turnout NYC primary

Nine days of NYC early voting drew 172,684 ballots — about 55% fewer than last year and roughly 5% of eligible voters — as Mayor Zohran Mamdani crisscrossed the city to push his slate in down-ballot races, particularly for Assemblymember Claire Valdez in the 7th Congressional District, amid a generally low-turnout primary with no marquee contests; experts say lack of a high-profile race drives the dip, though some districts posted small gains and Gen Z/millennial participation remains around 4%.