NYC Mayor Adams is voting today but will leave 1 line blank: Mayor

Mayor Eric Adams may not be on the ballot in New York City’s Democratic primary, but that’s not going to keep him from exercising his right to vote.

“There is no mayoral candidate on there that anyone should be voting for,” Adams said last week when asked about his plans for Primary Day. “I'm going to vote for my city councilmember.”

“I can't imagine any of you voting for any other candidate," he told reporters. "You're going to vote for somebody else? Please don't tell me that.”

Adams decided not to run in the primary following the dismissal of his federal corruption charges in April. He is instead planning to run as an independent in the November general election.

The mayor has petitioned to run under two ballot lines, “EndAntiSemitism” and “Safe&Affordable.” But the Board of Elections has said he is limited to one line under state election law. Adams said he is considering his legal options, and is already suing the board to allow him to participate in the public matching funds program.

According to his mayoral schedule, Adams is planning to vote Tuesday morning at a poll site in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he owns a home. He is represented by City Councilmember Chi Ossé, a harsh progressive critic who previously called on him to resign.

Ossé is being challenged by Reginald Swiney, a relatively unknown candidate.

Adams did not reveal his preference in the race.

The mayor appears to be relishing a fight in the November election. Adams has attacked Democratic front-runner and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo over his policies, including his management of the pandemic and his passage of the state’s bail reform laws.

Cuomo has shied away from typical retail politics, avoiding forums, unscripted appearances and the press. Adams recently ridiculed Cuomo for being relatively absent on the campaign trail.

“He'll come out on weekends, do a Black church, stand in the pulpit, and then he'll disappear for the next six days,” Adams said.

This story has been updated to reflect the mayor's voting time.