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More than two million New Yorkers had cast their ballots as of 5pm on Tuesday, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
With so much on the line this year, New Yorkers clearly made an extra effort to vote across the five boroughs. We asked our readers, and went out in front of Brooklyn's Barclays Center to ask people in person, what specifically got them out to vote this year—reasons ranged from ensuring justice for all to protecting the very existence of democracy.
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In Brooklyn, voters told us they want to protect democracy and have the right to vote without intimidation, and that they want things "back to what life should be like."
And on Instagram, our readers said they voted "for the future" and "the future of all our children."
Some of them also said they found it important to cast their ballot to "fight fascism and protect democracy," "to go back to some kind of normal," and to vote in a "president [who] believes in facts, science and has concern for others and not just himself."
Others said voting was simply about exercising their right to do so:
"It's the most valuable privilege I have," one Instagram user told us.
"It's a right that we as humans can't afford to refuse. Especially now."
Head to our Instagram account to hear from more New Yorkers and to share how you're currently coping with Election Day-related anxiety.
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