New York state executive official elections, 2018

Elections in New York, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Congressional special elections • Governor • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State Assembly • Special state legislative • Local judges • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2022 → ← 2014
New York state executive official elections
Election details
Filing deadline: July 12, 2018
Primary: September 13, 2018 General: November 6, 2018
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (general elections); primary times vary by county Voting in New York
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas and triplexes
Other state executive elections
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The following state executive offices were up for election in New York in 2018. Click on the following links to learn more about each race:

Governor
Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Comptroller

Candidates and election results

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of New York

Incumbent Andrew Cuomo defeated Marcus Molinaro, Howie Hawkins, Larry Sharpe, and Stephanie Miner in the general election for Governor of New York on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andrew Cuomo (D / Working Families Party / Independence Party / Women's Equality Party)	59.6	3,635,340
		Marcus Molinaro (R / Conservative Party / Tax Revolt Party)	36.2	2,207,602
		Howie Hawkins (G)	1.7	103,946
		Larry Sharpe (L)	1.6	95,033
		Stephanie Miner (Serve America Movement Party)	0.9	55,441
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	7,115

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,104,477
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New York

Incumbent Andrew Cuomo defeated Cynthia Nixon in the Democratic primary for Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andrew Cuomo	65.5	1,021,160
		Cynthia Nixon	34.5	537,192

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,558,352
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Greg Waltman (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Marcus Molinaro advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of New York.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John DeFrancisco (R)
• Pankaj Shah (R)

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Marcus Molinaro advanced from the Conservative Party primary for Governor of New York.

Green primary election

The Green primary election was canceled. Howie Hawkins advanced from the Green primary for Governor of New York.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joel Giambra (Reform Party)

Lieutenant governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Incumbent Kathy Hochul defeated Julie Killian, Jia Lee, Andrew Hollister, and Michael Volpe in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of New York on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Hochul (D / Working Families Party / Independence Party / Women's Equality Party)	59.6	3,635,340
		Julie Killian (R / Conservative Party / Tax Revolt Party)	36.2	2,207,602
		Jia Lee (G)	1.7	103,946
		Andrew Hollister (L)	1.6	95,033
		Michael Volpe (Serve America Movement Party)	0.9	55,441
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	7,115

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,104,477
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Incumbent Kathy Hochul defeated Jumaane Williams in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Hochul	53.4	768,029
		Jumaane Williams	46.6	669,068

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,437,097
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Julie Killian advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Julie Killian

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green primary election

Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Jia Lee advanced from the Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Jia Lee

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Andrew Hollister advanced from the Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of New York on April 20, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Andrew Hollister (L)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Attorney general

General election

General election for Attorney General of New York

Letitia James defeated Keith Wofford, Michael Sussman, Christopher B. Garvey, and Nancy Sliwa in the general election for Attorney General of New York on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Letitia James (D)	62.4	3,739,239
		Keith Wofford (R)	35.2	2,108,600
		Michael Sussman (G)	1.2	72,512
		Christopher B. Garvey (L)	0.7	43,767
		Nancy Sliwa (Reform Party)	0.4	26,441
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	2,958

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,993,517
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Vincent Messina (Independence Party)
• Kenneth Schaeffer (Working Families Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of New York

Letitia James defeated Zephyr Teachout, Sean Maloney, and Leecia Eve in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Letitia James	40.3	608,308
		Zephyr Teachout	31.0	468,083
		Sean Maloney	25.1	379,099
		Leecia Eve	3.5	52,367

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,507,857
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of New York

Keith Wofford advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Keith Wofford

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Green primary election

Green primary for Attorney General of New York

Michael Sussman advanced from the Green primary for Attorney General of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Michael Sussman

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Independence Party primary election

Independence Party primary for Attorney General of New York

Vincent Messina advanced from the Independence Party primary for Attorney General of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Vincent Messina

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Reform Party primary election

Reform Party primary for Attorney General of New York

Nancy Sliwa defeated Michael Diederich Jr. and Christopher B. Garvey in the Reform Party primary for Attorney General of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nancy Sliwa	52.8	14,864
		Michael Diederich Jr.	24.0	6,752
		Christopher B. Garvey	23.2	6,533

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,149
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Working Families Party primary election

Working Families Party primary for Attorney General of New York

Kenneth Schaeffer advanced from the Working Families Party primary for Attorney General of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Kenneth Schaeffer

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Comptroller

General election

General election for New York Comptroller

Incumbent Thomas P. DiNapoli defeated Jonathan Trichter, Mark Dunlea, and Cruger Gallaudet in the general election for New York Comptroller on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thomas P. DiNapoli (D)	66.9	4,027,886
		Jonathan Trichter (R)	31.3	1,882,958
		Mark Dunlea (G)	1.2	70,041
		Cruger Gallaudet (L)	0.6	34,430
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	1,633

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,016,948
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York Comptroller

Incumbent Thomas P. DiNapoli advanced from the Democratic primary for New York Comptroller on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Thomas P. DiNapoli

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for New York Comptroller

Jonathan Trichter advanced from the Republican primary for New York Comptroller on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Jonathan Trichter

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green primary election

Green primary for New York Comptroller

Mark Dunlea advanced from the Green primary for New York Comptroller on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Mark Dunlea

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Context of the 2018 elections

Party control in New York

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats in New York held a state government trifecta for two years between 1992 and 2017.

New York Party Control: 1992-2024
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D
Assembly	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New York utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for primary and general elections. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in New York, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county, city, or village for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the date of the election. People who are in prison for a felony conviction and those who have been declared mentally incompetent by a court are ineligible to register to vote. One cannot register to vote in New York while claiming the right to vote elsewhere. Pre-registration is available beginning at the age of 16.

Registration applications are available at the county board of elections or any agency-based voter registration center. Forms are also available online, or prospective voters can request the form by mail. Completed forms returned by mail must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election.

The form must then be received by election officials at least 10 days before the election. A registration done in person must be completed at least 10 days prior to the election. Residents may also register to vote online through the DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application. These applications are forwarded to the board of elections; applicants should allow up to six weeks for processing.

Automatic registration

New York automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through a number of state agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, and others.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

New York has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

New York does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

In order to register to vote in New York, applicants must reside in the county, city, or village in which they are registering for at least 30 days prior to the election.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

New York does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, voter who submits false information "can be convicted and fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to four years."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The New York State Board of Elections allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

New York does not require voters to present identification while voting. However, if a voter does not provide valid identification at the time of registration, he or she must show identification at the polling place when voting for the first time

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

• A current, valid photo ID, including but not limited to a drivers' license or a DMV-issued non-driver photo ID
• A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with the voter's name and address

Early voting

New York permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

New York offers early mail voting and absentee voting.

Any registered voter may vote an early mail ballot. To vote an absentee ballot, a voter must be:

“

Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City absent from the five boroughs, on Election Day. Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability. Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled. A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital. In jail or prison for any reason other than a felony conviction. This includes anyone who is awaiting grand jury action, awaiting trial, or serving a sentence for a misdemeanor.

”

Applications for early mail ballots and absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections at least ten days before an election, unless the application is submitted in person by the day before the election.

Early mail ballots and absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the county board of elections by the seventh day after the election. Ballots may be returned in person to the county board of elections by the close of polls on Election Day or to a polling place during the early voting period or on Election Day.

Past elections

2016

There were no state executive elections in New York in 2016.

2014

The following elections took place in 2014.

• New York down ballot state executive elections, 2014
• New York state executive official elections, 2014
• New York Attorney General election, 2014
• New York gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

2012

There were no state executive elections in New York in 2012.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New York state executive election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

New York state executive official elections, 2018 - Google News

State profile

Demographic data for New York
	New York	U.S.
Total population:	19,747,183	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	47,126	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	64.6%	73.6%
Black/African American:	15.6%	12.6%
Asian:	8%	5.1%
Native American:	0.4%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.9%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	18.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	85.6%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	34.2%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$59,269	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	18.5%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New York. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in New York

New York voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 18 are located in New York, accounting for 8.74 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New York had 14 Retained Pivot Counties and four Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 7.73 and 16.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More New York coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in New York
• United States congressional delegations from New York
• Public policy in New York
• Endorsers in New York
• New York fact checks
• More...

External links

Suggest a link

• State of New York official website