It’s been a rigorous campaign season in Bay Ridge, one of the few neighborhoods with a competitive City Council general election on the ballot this November — Democrat Justin Brannan versus Republican Ari Kagan.

"Mailers, in front of the supermarkets, drug stores, at my door," said Shirley Losi, an early voter. "I've been hit up by every single way of media, face to face. They’ve been out there.”

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly 86,000 New Yorkers took part in early voting in an off-year election cycle with few competitive races

  • All 51 City Council members are on the ballot this November

  • Other items on the ballot include two constitutional amendments and district judges

  • There are two statewide ballot initiatives concerning municipal debt

 

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“I think it’s a little over the top, actually. A lot of paper — every day there’s paper in the mailbox, paper on the doorsteps, it’s a bit much honestly,” said John Mondanaro, another early voter. “But we knew who we were going to vote for anyway so it didn’t really shape our decision.”

That vote would be for Brannan — as were most early votes cast here at Fort Hamilton High School, according to those who spoke to NY1, located in Brannan’s Bay Ridge home base.

“He’s just always had the heart of the community in his own heart and that means a lot, living here and watching his values, unwavering and just really stays the course from what he says he’s gonna do to what he does,” Mondanaro said.

Early voting ensured Marguerite Higgins got to cast her vote in a tight election.

“It’s why we came down, to make sure I got it done this week because I have to work and I can get delayed at work and I didn’t want that to happen,” Higgins said.

She said she’s voting for Kagan.

“I definitely think we have to start going back to some traditional, conservative values, definitely in New York.”

Nearly 86,000 New Yorkers came out to vote early in a quiet election cycle, with few competitive races on the ballot, particularly in northern Queens and southern Brooklyn.

Here is what is on the ballot for voters around the city:

  • All 51 members of the city council
  • District Attorney races in The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island
  • Judicial races
  • Two statewide ballot proposals about municipal debt

Sunday is the last day of early voting, so the next chance voters have to go to polls will be Election Day on Tuesday.

Polls open then at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.