Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Nasreen Ahmed, an immigration advocate who lives in Brooklyn, knew she wanted Andrew Cuomo as her mayor.

Like many of Cuomo’s supporters, his long record as New York’s governor and attorney general appealed to her.

“He has long, long experience and knows how we can make New York a better city,” Ahmed tells me .

“I belong to a working class family and if he becomes the mayor of New York City, there will be a lot of job opportunities.”

Specifically, Cuomo has aggressively pitched his experience dealing with Donald Trump as a selling point, as the president has implied he may withhold government funds or carry out enhanced immigration enforcement here.

“We can save our city from the defunding of the federal government,” adds Ahmed. "That’s the most reason that I’m supporting Cuomo.”

Regan Morris
Reporting from Los Angeles

“Fight back against Trump - Vote Yes” or “Two wrongs don’t make a right - Vote No.”

Those are the messages Californians have been bombarded with for months as they head to the polls to answer just one question - should the state redraw their congressional district maps “in response to Texas’s partisan redistricting.” A yes vote means California could counter what Texas has done without asking its voters – redraw its maps to benefit one party over another.

Gov Gavin Newsom has been urging Californians to vote yes – along with former President Obama who featured in an ad and several Instagram posts imploring voters to get out to the polls and vote “yes”.

“California the whole nation is counting on you,” President Obama says in an ad, saying Democracy is on the ballot and that Republicans want to “steal” seats in Congress. “Prop 50 puts our elections back on a level playing field, preserves independent redistricting over the long term, and lets the people decide.”

California’s Republicans say the Golden state should preserve the “gold standard” they created “for fair elections: independent, citizen-led redistricting that ensures voters pick their representatives, not the other way around.”

That “gold standard” was championed by the state’s most influential living Republican – former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is known for championing the independent redistricting commission.

“It’s against Democracy,” former Gov Schwarzenegger told students at USC. “They want to dismantle this independent commission, they want to get rid of it under the auspices “we have to fight Trump”.”

He told the students that Prop 50 is “getting rid of the democratic principles of California and urged a no vote to stop California from “going backwards.”

But that appearance was nearly two months ago and aside from an interview on CNN calling Prop 50 “cheating,” the Schwarzenegger has been largely absent from the No on Prop 50 campaigns, which would dismantle one of his greatest political achievements.

If Prop 50 passes, it will be temporary, and the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission would resume enacting congressional maps in 2031.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York

Christine Quinn, the former speaker of the New York City Council, says it's time for Democrats to unite and be loyal to each other.

She says while some may worry how the mayor of New York might be used against Democrats across the country in upcoming midterm elections, that the reality is that happens no matter who is in office.

“Let’s show them what real leadership is, working on issues people care about and are affected by, like affordability,” she tells me.

“Then whatever mud they sling at us, whatever lies they put out there connecting people to the mayor or however they misrepresent the mayor, we’ll be able to fight that not just with rhetoric, but with hard results.”

Quinn says Democrats can’t just rely on staying in the “safe space of being against Donald Trump” - but also need to stand for something.

Zohran Mamdani, she insists, has given people hope.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has run on a tough-on-crime, public safety platform.

His campaign builds on his work with the Guardian Angels, a safe streets organisation he founded in the 1980s.

He made a name for himself patrolling the streets with his fellow volunteers, who sported red berets and jackets.

Many New Yorkers know Sliwa through this work, as from his local radio show.

One of those fans was Philip McManus of Rockway Park, Queens.

Sliwa “fought and bled for New York,” he tells me. “He fought for strangers, he protected strangers on the subway and on the streets.”

McManus had made the lengthy trip from his beachfront neighbourhood to Long Island City to cheer for Sliwa outside a 22 October debate.

“He will be a law and order mayor,” McManus adds.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from Brooklyn

Troy Douglas says he will be happy no matter who wins the New York City Election tonight, as long as it's a Democrat.

He just cast his vote for Andrew Cuomo this afternoon.

The lifelong New York resident says he was not sure about Mamdani because he is younger and does not have as much experience compared to Cuomo, the former governor.

"I just went with somebody I think that knew a little more about politics," he says.

Asked whether he liked Cuomo's leadership as New York governor, the 57-year-old shrugged and said: "Eh".

Douglas says if young people come out to vote in strong numbers, he expects Mamdani to win.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York

One of Zohran Mamdani’s supporters who has tried to help him grow his base is the self-taught jewellery designer and CEO, Alexis Bittar.

The 57-year-old, lifelong New Yorker whose parents were both American history professors, spoke to the BBC as he prepared a cheese plate in the kitchen at his 1850’s Brooklyn townhouse last month.

Along with his husband, they decorated and cleared out their dining room to set up wooden folding chairs for guests to meet the candidate on 14 October. Not to fundraise, just to talk.

Bittar, who describes himself as quite cynical about politics, had become hopeful watching Mamdani’s rise. He tells me he was struck by the candidate’s strength and believed in his earnestness and conviction.

“I think he came across really incredibly honest and for the people,” he explains.

“He kind of reminded me of Bernie Sanders, I guess, kind of a young Bernie Sanders, very strong and articulate, his oratory skills are insane.”

Bittar found there was a lot of hesitancy in the business community from those he spoke to, but they were grateful to have an opportunity to speak with the democratic nominee.

In the end 40 people came together, a mix of individuals from the financial, fashion and art sectors who were all CEOs or business owners.

“I think he came across great,” he adds. “The thing that’s remarkable about him is he’s incredibly equipped to answer them and diligently answer them.”

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from New York

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayor's race, urging voters not to elect left-wing front-runner Zohran Mamdani.

"Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job," Trump posted on Truth Social Monday evening. "He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!"

The tepid endorsement of the former New York governor comes on the eve of the highly watched mayoral election.On Sunday, the president said he would be reluctant to send federal funding to his hometown of New York if Mamdani is elected.

"It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a Communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there," Trump said in a television interview.

Trump, also a Republican, declined to endorse Sliwa in his post, saying "A vote for Curtis Sliwa ... is a vote for Mamdani".

On federal funding, the president added "it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required" if Mamdani is elected.

Trump and Cuomo have been hardcore political rivals in the past, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Trump was in the White House the first time and Cuomo was governor of New York.

Grace Eliza Goodwin in New York and Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu in Washington

Image source, Getty Images

Trump has sought to paint Mamdani as an extremist and a danger to the US.

The president has labelled the New York Democratic mayoral candidate - who calls himself a democratic socialist - a "100% Communist Lunatic" and accused the naturalised US citizen of being the in the country illegally. He has also threated to cut NYC's federal funding if Mamdani wins.

On Tuesday morning, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!"

Last month, Trump said Mamdani "hates Jewish people and yet he’s got Jewish people supporting him".

Some Jewish New Yorkers have taken issues with Mamdani's highly critical stance against Israel's war in Gaza.

The American Jewish Committee says it is "deeply troubled" by Mamdani's "continued use of problematic rhetoric as it relates to Israel and Jews".

But Mamdani, a Muslim, has also received support from several mostly progressive Jewish groups, reflecting division within the community on his candidacy.

Trump's post "is showing once again that he doesn't care about Jewish people," Jamie Beran, CEO of progressive national Jewish organisation Bend the Arc tells the BBC in a statement.

Both Trump and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo "use smokescreen antisemitism to manipulate Jewish fears for their personal gain", she says, adding they will both be "defeated by Jews organising arm-in-arm with our neighbours to elect progressive champions like Zohran Mamdani."

Mamdani has called out antisemitism as a major issue in New York, telling talk show host Stephen Colbert that it is "something we have to tackle". Separately, he has promised an 800% funding increase for hate crime prevention.

The BBC's Nada Tawfik spoke to NYC Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in Manhattan last week.

You can hear and see what he had to say below.

Image source, Getty Images

As polling stations in New Jersey opened for an election on the state's governor, the BBC's US partner CBS reported that some locations received bomb threats.

Threats caused temporary closures at some polling locations, including schools.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said certain polling sites in Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Passaic counties all received threats via email Tuesday morning.

He added that police had been sent to each affected polling place, and had secured the safety of voters.

Responding, US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote: "We are on it" and stressed that the US Department of Justice is "committed to free, fair and safe elections".

Democrat Mikie Sherrill, who is running to be New Jersey governor, calls the threats "a clear attempt to undermine our democratic system and intimidate New Jerseyans from going to the polls to exercise their right to vote".

Meanwhile her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli tells CBS that "there's no place in politics for nonsense like this".

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Washington DC

So far, the elections have played a relatively minor role in today's press briefing from Karoline Leavitt.

Given the local nature of today's elections, that should perhaps come as no surprise. The government shutdown and its impact, for example, are much broader, national issues.

There has been, however, been brief mentions of Zohran Mamdani - and the administration's hostility to him is clear.

Leavitt left the possibility open that Trump would cut federal finding to New York City should Mamdami emerge victorious - but only teased that an announcement would come after the fact.

"We won't get ahead of the election result," she said. "Nor will I speak to what the President may do in the future. We'll see how tonight goes."

Earlier in the briefing, Leavitt also addressed comments from Mamdani regarding his remarks, in which he linked the Trump administration to voter intimidation efforts.

Leavitt said those remarks are "completely irresponsible" and "based on zero evidence."

"I think this is just another example of how the Democrat Party unfortunately stands for nothing," she added. "All they stand against is President Donald Trump. I think it's quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on an Election Day saying such things."

In New York city's mayoral race...

Polls opened At 06:00 local time (11:00 GMT) for voters in New York city.

They will remain open for ballots to be cast on the mayoral race until 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT).

Elsewhere in the US... Votes for governors, a state's supreme court, and congressional lines take place

Away from New York, there's also votes happening in Virginia, New Jersey, and California today.

Polls opened at 06:00 local time (11:00 GMT) in Virginia and New Jersey where a vote for governor is taking place.

Votes on the next Virginia governor will close at 19:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

In New Jersey, polls will close an hour later at 20:00 local time (01:00 GMT).

Meanwhile on the west coast, polls opened at 07:00 local time in California (15:00 GMT), where a vote is taking place on how the state's congressional lines are to be redrawn.

Polls in California will then close at 20:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

And in Pennsylvania, polls for control of the Pennsylvania supreme court - where three Justices are up for retention - opened at 07:00 local time (12:00 GMT), and close at 20:00 local time (01:00 GMT).

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, while New York city chooses its next mayor, Americans are also taking to the polls for an important vote in California today.

On the west coast, a Proposition 50 ballot measure backed by Governor Gavin Newsom is now at the ballot box.

As Republican-led states like Texas and Missouri seek to redraw their congressional maps to give their party an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections, Democrat Gavin Newsom is seeking to do the same for his own party.

He hopes to allow the temporary use of new congressional district maps through 2030. This is unusual in California, which by law relies on a nonpartisan committee to draw its congressional maps once every decade based on census data.

The campaign has drawn $158 million in donations, according to the Los Angeles Times, and Newsom recently asked supporters to back off on donations, saying his teams had hit their budget goals to pass the proposition.

US President Donald Trump is a long-time opponent of Newsom, and is not in favour of today's vote.

He has called the "unconstitutional" vote a "GIANT SCAM" and has warned that the voting system itself is "RIGGED".

Writing on Truth Social a little earlier, he adds that the use of mail-in ballots in the state "is under very serious legal and criminal review".

The topics being discussed in the city this election cycle range from free public buses to handling Trump's relationship with New York.

Lets take a look at where candidates stand on some of the biggest issues on the table.

Affordable housing

New Yorkers face high costs of living on everything - especially rent, and all three candidates have made affordability central to their campaigns.

Mamdani has promised rent freezes on stabilised apartments and to hold corrupt landlords accountable. Cuomo takes issue with rent freezes, saying he wants to limit who can qualify for rent stabilised apartments. Sliwa thinks the next mayor should free up vacant apartments in NYCHA - New York's public housing programme - and allow people to move in.

Public transit

Another Mamdani proposal that has drawn criticism from both of his opponents is making all New York City buses free.

At the last debate, Sliwa scoffed at the suggestion, saying many people already skip their fares and, under Mamdani, public transit would attract vagrants.

Cuomo says Mamdani's plans are "subsidizing the rich" and that transit should not be free for those who can afford to pay.

Homelessness

Sliwa and Cuomo both want to add more police officers to the NYPD and crack down on crime. Mamdani wants to keep the police force’s budget the same and add a "Department of Community Safety" to address 911 calls about homelessness or mental health concerns.

Dealing with Washington

All three candidates have proposed different ways of dealing with Trump as the president threatens to cut funding to the city and send in federal troops. Cuomo and Mamdani say they will stand up to the president while Sliwa says he will work with him.

"If he every wants to come for New Yorkers in the way that he has been, he's going to have to get through me," Mamdani said at a debate.

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

Image source, Getty Images

While the vote for the Big Apple's next mayor might be the most eye-catching of the US elections today, there are other votes to be aware of.

California redistricting

California's Democratic leadership is asking voters for permission to redraw the state's congressional districts in the middle of the decade.

That's unusual in California, which by law relies on a nonpartisan committee to draw its congressional maps once every decade, based on census data.

But, as Republican-led states like Texas and Missouri seek to withdraw their congressional maps for an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections, California Governor Gavin Newsom wants to counter the losses with redistricting in his own state.

New Jersey governor's race

New Jersey is considered a Democratic state, but polls indicate a close race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

Sherrill currently represents New Jersey's 11th District in Congress, and Ciattarelli is a former state assemblyman.

Despite leaning blue, the state has had Republican governors in the past. The last one, Chris Christie, served two terms between 2010 and 2018.

Virginia governor's race

Virginia's leadership usually swings between Democrats and Republicans, meaning the outcome of this year's gubernatorial - meaning an event relating to a governor - election might serve as a bellwether for the electorate's mood.

No matter which candidate succeeds, the state will elect its first female governor this year. Voters will choose between Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a US congresswoman, and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the state's current lieutenant governor.

• We've more on five things to know about today's elections - including the impact of the Trump factor - in our news story

Let's bring you some fresh images coming to us from across New York where two of the candidates have been out casting their own votes.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has arrived at a polling station in the Queens borough with his wife Ruma Duwaji to cast their vote - and also to speak with members of the media who have gathered.

We are yet to see any images of Curtis Sliwa, but Andrew Cuomo has been spotted voting along side his daughters Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr/BBC News

Good morning from the White House, which remains relatively empty even on a newsy day in the US capital.

At the moment, there is nothing on President Trump's schedule, meaning that we do not expect that we will see him on camera unless something changes.

He has, however, been busy posting on Truth Social, commenting on his endorsements, criticising Zohran Mamdami and imploring voters to cast their ballots for Republican candidates.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is scheduled to hold a briefing at 1300e (1800g) in which we're likely to hear more about the elections from the White House.

Stay with us for more details.

It is polling day in New York City - and as you would expect locals have been out voting for their choice of mayor.

So, are New Yorkers picking Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo or Curtis Sliwa?

Have a watch below.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from New York

Image source, Reuters

It’s election day in New York City and in state and local elections around the United States, though only some Americans are casting ballots today.

Polls have been open since early this morning in New York, and votes are also rolling in in governors contests in New Jersey and Virginia.

In New York, three candidates are vying for the chance to lead the US's largest city: Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

The race has captured national attention, with cost of living in the spotlight and President Donald Trump weighing in against front-runner Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic socialist.

In Virginia and New Jersey, voters will elect new governors, and the outcome of these contests could be bellwethers for next year's congressional midterm elections.

Californians also will decide whether to redraw their US House district maps in a rare mid-decade redistricting, as Democrats try to counter Republicans' efforts to give their party an advantage in next year's midterm elections.

We will bring you all the action from the streets of New York and across the country, and we'll have the results right here when the ballots are tallied, so stick with us.