In New York City, 1,089,328 voters participated in early voting for the U.S. presidential election, which ran from October 26 to November 3. With the conclusion of this nine-day early voting period, those who have not voted in person or by mail can still cast their ballots on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.
According to the New York City Board of Elections, early voting turnout by borough was as follows: 282,533 in Manhattan, 113,955 in the Bronx, 345,840 in Brooklyn, 255,102 in Queens, and 91,898 on Staten Island. Brooklyn saw the highest early voter turnout among the boroughs.
Approximately 20% of New York City’s 4,769,787 active voters took part in early voting. The city’s total voter registration includes 5,354,797 people, of whom 585,010 are inactive voters. Among the active voters, there are 3,114,785 registered Democrats, 513,996 registered Republicans, and 1,024,476 voters unaffiliated with any political party.
Many Nepali American voters also took part in early voting, opting to avoid potential Election Day crowds. Nirmala Baskota, a Queens resident, and her husband, Manmohan Singh Ghimire, emphasized the importance of early voting and expressed pride in their participation in democracy. Ghimire said, “We did early voting. This is the beauty of democracy.”
Nepali American Suresh Shahi also voted early, citing a busy schedule on Election Day. “It’s important to make our voices heard,” he said, proudly displaying his “I Voted” sticker to encourage other Nepali Americans to vote, saying, “Your voice matters.”
This U.S. presidential election sees nearly 100,000 Nepali-origin Americans eligible to vote, with around 30,000 eligible to vote in a presidential election for the first time. Data from the Department of Homeland Security indicates that approximately 87,000 Nepalis have acquired U.S. citizenship, with the total number of Nepali Americans, including second-generation individuals born in the U.S., reaching nearly 100,000.
According to the Asian American Research Center, the distribution of Nepali American voters in the U.S. is as follows: 24,561 in the Northeast, 16,645 in the Midwest, 31,953 in the South, and 18,750 in the West. Additionally, there are 12,716 Nepali voters in eight battleground states, with the largest concentration in Pennsylvania, at 3,890. This data does not include Nepali-speaking Bhutanese voters.
Between 2014 and 2024, the Nepali American population has seen a significant increase of around 314%, growing nearly fourfold. As of the 2023 fiscal year, 7,930 Nepalis received U.S. citizenship, with 9,408 in 2022 and 7,232 in 2021. Those naturalized since 2021 will be voting in a U.S. presidential election for the first time.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
