When New Yorkers walk into a polling site, the ballot does more than ask about the mayor. Three other citywide and boroughwide offices shape how the city is audited, how complaints get answered, and how a borough’s land use and capital priorities move through City Hall: the Comptroller, the Public Advocate, and the five Borough Presidents. These offices are often the deciding votes on whether a building rises, a contract gets signed, or an agency answers to the public. Yet they get a fraction of the attention the mayoral race attracts.

This guide explains what each office does, how it is structured under the New York City Charter, when these offices appear on the ballot, and where to confirm details directly from official sources. The next time these offices are on the ballot citywide is the June 23, 2026 Primary Election, with early voting running June 13 through June 21, followed by the general election on November 3, 2026. There is no early voting period currently active in New York City as of mid-May 2026.

Quick reference: the three offices at a glance

Before getting into the details, here is the short version. The Comptroller is the city’s chief financial officer and independent auditor. The Public Advocate is the city’s ombudsman, a non-voting member of the City Council, and first in the line of succession to the Mayor. Each Borough President is the chief elected official of one of the five boroughs and controls a slice of the capital budget plus the appointment of community board members. All three offices are independently elected — not appointed by the Mayor — and serve four-year terms.

The New York City Comptroller

The Comptroller is New York City’s chief financial officer and is elected citywide, independently of the Mayor. The current officeholder is Mark Levine. The position is defined under Chapter 5 of the New York City Charter, and the office’s published mission is to “promote the financial health, integrity, and effectiveness of New York City government.”

Core duties of the Comptroller

According to the Office of the New York City Comptroller, the Comptroller’s responsibilities include:

• Auditing every City agency. The Comptroller is required to audit every City agency at least once every four years. These performance and financial audits examine operations, spending, and program effectiveness, and the findings are public.
• Serving as fiduciary to the City’s five public pension funds. The Comptroller is the investment advisor to and custodian of assets for the five New York City public pension systems, which provide retirement security for more than 700,000 current and former City employees. As of January 2026, those assets totaled approximately $316.34 billion, according to the Comptroller’s published figure.
• Reviewing City contracts. Through the Bureau of Contract Administration, the Comptroller’s office reviews and registers City contracts before they take legal effect — typically within 30 calendar days — to confirm that funds are available, procurement rules were followed, and no corruption tainted the decision.
• Resolving claims for and against the City. The Bureau of Law and Adjustment negotiates and approves monetary settlements of claims and lawsuits involving the City of New York, both before and during litigation.
• Setting and enforcing prevailing and living wage rates. The Bureau of Labor Law sets and enforces prevailing wage, living wage, and benefit rates for workers on New York City public works projects and for building service employees on covered City contracts.
• Reporting on the City’s fiscal condition. The Comptroller’s office produces the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), regular cash and budget analyses, and independent commentary on the Mayor’s preliminary and executive budgets.

What the Comptroller does not do

The Comptroller does not write the city budget — that is the Mayor’s responsibility, with the City Council approving the final version. The Comptroller does not run city agencies day to day. And the Comptroller is not a prosecutor; criminal cases stemming from audit findings are referred to the appropriate district attorney or other investigative bodies.

The New York City Public Advocate

The Public Advocate is also elected citywide and is the only municipal office, along with the Mayor and the Comptroller, chosen by all of the city’s voters. The current officeholder is Jumaane D. Williams. The position is defined under Section 24 of the City Charter.

Core duties of the Public Advocate

According to the Office of the New York City Public Advocate, the role is built around three pillars: legislative participation, ombudsman work, and oversight.

• Non-voting member of the City Council. The Public Advocate sits as a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation. The Public Advocate cannot cast a vote on legislation but participates in committee work and floor debate.
• Ombudsman for city government. The Public Advocate receives and reviews complaints about city services, including individual complaints and recurring or city-wide patterns of problems. The office investigates and attempts to resolve these complaints and publishes proposals to address shortcomings in city programs.
• Oversight of public information and complaint systems. Under Section 24 of the Charter, the Public Advocate monitors how city agencies handle public information and service complaints and makes recommendations to improve those systems.
• Appointments to boards and commissions. The Public Advocate appoints one member of the New York City Planning Commission and serves on the committee that selects the director of the New York City Independent Budget Office. The Public Advocate also chairs the Commission on Public Information and Communication established under Section 1061 of the Charter.
• First in the line of succession. If the office of Mayor becomes vacant — or if the Mayor is unable to perform the duties of office — the Public Advocate is first in line to assume those duties. If the Mayor cannot work for nine consecutive days, the Public Advocate takes over until the Mayor returns. If the Mayor resigns or otherwise leaves the office permanently, the Public Advocate becomes acting Mayor until a successor is elected.

What the Public Advocate does not do

The Public Advocate does not vote on City Council legislation, does not run a city agency, and does not have direct authority to overturn decisions by the Mayor’s office or commissioners. The role’s leverage comes from its public platform, its right to introduce legislation, its complaint-resolution capacity, and its appointment powers.

The Five Borough Presidents

New York City has five Borough Presidents — one each for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each is elected by the voters of that borough alone, not citywide. The office is defined under Chapter 4 of the City Charter, with the principal powers and duties spelled out in Section 82.

Listed alphabetically, the five offices are:

• Bronx Borough President
• Brooklyn Borough President
• Manhattan Borough President
• Queens Borough President
• Staten Island Borough President

Core duties of a Borough President

Under the Charter, each Borough President has several specific powers:

• Allocating a share of the capital budget. Under Section 82 of the Charter, five percent of appropriations funded by debt supported by city tax-levy funds and certain state and federal funds proposed in the executive capital budget is allocated among the boroughs based on a formula that equally weights population and geographic area. Each Borough President directs this share toward capital projects within the borough — schools, parks, libraries, technology upgrades, and similar long-term assets.
• Reviewing land-use applications under ULURP. The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is the public process for major rezonings, dispositions of city-owned property, and other significant land-use actions. Borough Presidents and the borough’s community boards each issue formal recommendations during ULURP, which the City Planning Commission and the City Council then consider before a final vote.
• Appointing community board members. Each borough has community boards covering distinct neighborhoods. The Borough President appoints all community board members, with half of those appointments coming from nominations submitted by City Council members representing the district.
• Maintaining a borough planning office and topographical bureau. The Charter requires Borough Presidents to maintain a planning office that assists community boards with technical review of land-use proposals, prepares environmental analyses, and contributes to long-term planning for the borough.
• Submitting budget recommendations. The Borough President consults with the Mayor on the executive expense and capital budgets and submits proposed appropriations and budget recommendations to the Mayor and the Council.
• Introducing legislation. Borough Presidents have the power to have legislation introduced in the City Council. Such proposed legislation must indicate that it was introduced at the behest of the Borough President.
• Holding public hearings. Borough Presidents convene hearings on matters of borough concern and issue reports and recommendations.

What a Borough President does not do

A Borough President does not run city agencies, does not have a vote in the City Council, and does not have the power to veto City Council legislation or Mayoral decisions. Recommendations under ULURP are advisory — they carry weight but do not bind the City Planning Commission or the City Council to a particular outcome. The role’s authority is concentrated in capital project funding, community board appointments, and a formal seat at the table during major land-use decisions.

How these offices interact with the Mayor and City Council

New York City’s structure intentionally distributes oversight across independently elected offices. The Mayor proposes the budget and runs the agencies. The City Council adopts the budget, passes legislation, and confirms certain appointments. The Comptroller audits the agencies and manages the pension funds. The Public Advocate represents residents in their disputes with city government and stands first in the line of mayoral succession. The Borough Presidents weigh in on land-use decisions and direct capital dollars to projects within their boroughs.

None of these offices can act unilaterally to override the others. The Comptroller can audit but cannot remove a commissioner. The Public Advocate can investigate but cannot vote in the Council. A Borough President can object to a rezoning but cannot stop it without persuading the City Planning Commission or the City Council. The system is built on parallel accountability rather than a single chain of command.

When these offices are on the ballot

The Comptroller, the Public Advocate, and the five Borough Presidents are all elected to four-year terms. They appear on the ballot in the same cycle as the Mayor. The next regularly scheduled primary for these offices in New York City is the June 23, 2026 Primary Election. Early voting for that primary runs from June 13, 2026 through June 21, 2026, according to the NYC Board of Elections. The general election follows on November 3, 2026, with early voting from October 24, 2026 through November 1, 2026.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting hours vary by date — the Board of Elections publishes a daily schedule at vote.nyc.

To check the most current election calendar, the official source is the NYC Board of Elections page at vote.nyc/elections. To confirm whether you are registered to vote and to find your polling site, use the NYC Board of Elections tools linked from the same site.

How to research candidates for these offices

For neutral, official information about who is on the ballot, the NYC Board of Elections publishes a list of candidates who have filed for each office. The State Board of Elections at elections.ny.gov also maintains official filings. Candidate-run websites and campaign filings on file with the New York City Campaign Finance Board round out the public record. News coverage from established outlets can provide context, but the canonical source for ballot eligibility is the Board of Elections.

For deeper context on how the city counts votes when more than two candidates run for one of these offices in a primary, see our explainer on ranked-choice voting in New York City. For polling-site logistics, early voting, and mail-ballot rules covering all five boroughs, see our NYC polling site, early voting, and mail ballot guide for 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Public Advocate the same as the Mayor’s office?

No. The Public Advocate is a separate, independently elected citywide office. The Public Advocate is not appointed by the Mayor and does not work for the Mayor. The two offices are coequal in the sense that both are elected by all city voters, though the Mayor controls city agencies day to day. The Public Advocate stands first in the line of succession if the Mayor cannot serve.

Does the Comptroller approve the city budget?

No. The Comptroller does not approve the city budget. The Mayor proposes the budget, the City Council adopts it, and the Comptroller analyzes it, comments on it publicly, and audits how the money is spent after the fact. The Comptroller’s reports on the preliminary and executive budgets are advisory but carry significant weight in public debate.

Can a Borough President veto a development project?

No. A Borough President issues a formal recommendation during the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), but that recommendation is advisory. The City Planning Commission and the City Council make the binding decisions. A Borough President’s most direct power over the built environment of their borough comes through community board appointments and the 5 percent share of the capital budget allocated under Section 82 of the Charter.

Do all five Borough Presidents have the same powers?

Yes. The Charter applies the same set of powers and duties to all five Borough Presidents. Differences in how each office operates day to day reflect the choices of the individual officeholder, the size and needs of the borough, and the makeup of the borough’s community boards — not differences in legal authority.

How long are the terms for these offices?

The Comptroller, the Public Advocate, and each Borough President serve four-year terms. Like the Mayor, all three offices are subject to a two-term limit under the New York City Charter.

When is the next time these offices appear on the ballot in New York City?

The next citywide primary for these offices is on June 23, 2026. Early voting for that primary runs from June 13, 2026 through June 21, 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026, with early voting from October 24, 2026 through November 1, 2026. All dates are published by the NYC Board of Elections at vote.nyc/elections.

Where can I find each office’s official website?

The Comptroller’s official site is comptroller.nyc.gov. The Public Advocate’s official site is advocate.nyc.gov. Each Borough President maintains a separate official site within nyc.gov. The NYC Board of Elections at vote.nyc is the official source for election dates, candidate filings, polling sites, and ballot information.

Sources verified for this article

This article was prepared using the following primary sources, each fetched directly during research:

• Office of the New York City Comptroller — “Mission & Office Overview” (comptroller.nyc.gov/about/overview-of-the-office/) and “Duties of the Comptroller” (comptroller.nyc.gov/about/duties-of-the-comptroller/).
• Office of the New York City Public Advocate — “Duties of the Office” (advocate.nyc.gov/about/the-office), citing Section 24 of the New York City Charter.
• New York City Charter, Chapter 4 — Borough Presidents, including Section 82 on powers and duties (codelibrary.amlegal.com NYC Charter; nyccharter.readthedocs.io/c04/).
• NYC Board of Elections — “Upcoming Elections 2026” (vote.nyc/elections), confirming the April 28, 2026 special election (3rd City Council District in Manhattan), the June 23, 2026 primary with early voting June 13–21, and the November 3, 2026 general election with early voting October 24–November 1.

This explainer is editorially neutral. HelpNewYork does not endorse candidates and does not take positions on contested election questions. Office descriptions are drawn from the New York City Charter and the official websites of each office.

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