Mayoral Election Systems in the 50 Largest U.S. Cities

August 6, 2026

Reinvent Albany looked at how the 50 most populous cities in the United States select their mayors. We found that not only is New York City’s election process unique, but it also incorporates numerous singular or very rare features.   

The NYC Process for Electing Mayors is a Complete Outlier Among the Top 50 Cities

  • NYC is the only city that allows candidates to run on more than one ballot line in the general election. Only two states, New York and Connecticut, allow “disaggregated fusion,” which allows multiple political parties to run the same candidate on their ballot lines. For instance, a candidate for mayor in the NYC general election can run on both the Democratic Party and Working Families Party lines and have their total votes combined. (Only NYC of the Top 50 uses disaggregated fusion.)
  • NYC is the only city that allows candidates that lost in the primary to run in the general election. These “sore losers,” like Andrew Cuomo in 2025, can get on the general election ballot with only 3,750 valid signatures on a nominating petition. (Only NYC of the Top 50 allows sore losers.) 
  • NYC is the only city using ranked choice voting solely for the primary.
  • NYC is one of four cities that have closed elections, in which only registered members of a political party may vote in the first round of voting. (Only four of the Top 50 have closed elections.)
  • NYC is one of seven cities using partisan primaries. (Only seven of the Top 50 use partisan primaries.)

Open, Semi-Open, and Closed Elections in the Top 50 U.S. Cities

  • Open Election: 44 cities (88% of Top 50)
  • Semi-Open Election: 2 cities (4% of Top 50): DC, Indianapolis 
  • Closed Election: 4 cities (8% of Top 50): NYC, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Baltimore

Other Key Facts About NYC

NYC Special Elections to fill a vacancy for the Mayor use Ranked Choice Voting in a single election to select a candidate who has qualified for the ballot by submitting 3,750 signatures – there is no party primary. (NYC Charter Chapter 46.)U.S. Cities
Open Election: 44 (88% of Top 50)
Semi-Open Election: 2
Closed Election: 4 (8% of Top 50) NYC, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Baltimore

NYC’s 2025 general election turnout of 41.6% of registered voters was the highest in more than fifty years, but is still low compared to cities with the highest turnout. In their last mayoral general elections, San Francisco hit 79%, Phoenix 77%, and Portland, Oregon 66%; these cities all have open elections. 

In NYC, 19% of all registered voters are unaffiliated with a political party and cannot vote in the Democratic Party primary. Because Democrats far outnumber Republicans in NYC, the winner of the Democratic primary is typically the favorite for mayor. 

In NYC, 28% of voters age 18-29 are unaffiliated versus 12% of voters age 70-79. Regardless of sex or race, younger voters in NYC and nationally are significantly more likely to be unaffiliated with a political party than older voters. 

Click here or below for the Mayoral Election Process in 50 Largest U.S. Cities.