These are the key races to watch this Election Day

Some big elections are taking place on Tuesday in various locations throughout the country that could impact the national balance of politics. Here are some of them to look out for as people head to the polls.

New York City Mayoral Race

In New York City, three candidates are in the running to head the Big Apple, with socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani on the Democratic ticket, GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo running as an independent. Mamdani has been leading in the polls. In head-to-head race between Mamdani and Cuomo, the former governor appears to have a chance to beat Mamdani.

Voting in New York City opens at 6 am and goes to 9 pm. Early voting took place between October 25 and November 2 leading up to Election Day. Mamdani has proposed many different left-wing policies, including a $30 minimum wage, city-owned and operated grocery stores, free buses, rent freezes even on privately owned property, as well as others. Some have called on Sliwa to drop out of the race in order to consolidate the voe against Mamdani, but he refused to do so.

Maud Maron is a former Deomcrat running as a Republican in the Manhattan DA race is hoping to unseat Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was a key player in prosecuting President Donald Trump in the lead up to the 2024 presidential election. Maron has been vocal in parental rights in education.

Virginia Governor's Race

In Virginia, the gubernatorial election is taking place, with Abigail Spanberger as the Democrat nominee and current Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears as the GOP nominee. After Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's term, Sears is looking to take on the role. Polls have tightened in the past few weeks between the two, as there has been fallout from the state attorney general's race, where Democrat nominee Jay Jones was revealed to have called for the deaths of a GOP politician and his kids. Jones is facing Jason Miyares in the AG race.

Spanberger has yet to withdraw her support of Jones, and failed to do so on the debate stage with Sears. She is a former congresswoman and worked for the CIA before that.

Polls are open from 6 am on Tuesday to 7 pm for in-person voting, and elections are taking place for the governor, liutentent governor, attoreny general, the Virginia House of Delegates, and other local elections.

New Jersey Governor's Race

There is a gubernatorial race taking place in New Jersey between Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblymember, as well as Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who has been serving in the US House of Representatives. Polls have shown Ciattarelli statistially tied with Sherrill, but with the Democrat having a slight lead on average, meaning a lot could depend on voter turnout.

Voting starts at 6 am and goes to 8 pm, howver there were some bomb threats sent to at least 7 polling locations on Tuesday morning, sparking some closures. The state attoreny genral has said the polling locations have been secured. Funding in the race has passed $72 million, with the expected total cost to be around $200 million.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court

In Pennsylvania, voters will determine a choice between giving more another 10-year term to Supreme Court justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht, all incumbents on the bench. Republicans have been pushing to for voters to say “no” to more time on the bench for the justices, while the Democrats are looking to keep them on. All three justices who are up for what is called a “retention” election were brought on in 2015, per Spotlight PA.

California Prop 50

Some local elections are taking place in California, but what could really impact the national map of politics is the vote on Proposition 50, which would allow California to bypass their state constitutionally mandated independent redistricting commission on congressional lines, and allow the Democrat-led legislature to create their own congressional map to favor Democrats in the 2026 midterm election.

The move is a response to the GOP redistrict effort in Texas, where the GOP is hoping to pick up some seats for the midterms. Governor Gavin Newsom has been a proponent of this and made it a hallmark of his administration.