Early voting kicked off this weekend, although turnout at New York City polling sites for the general election has been more of a trickle than a wave. On Saturday, 15,418 people cast their votes, and by Sunday evening, total turnout for the weekend was at 31,176.

Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams assembled with a who’s who of fellow Democrats Sunday for a get-out-the-vote rally on the Upper West Side, one of the city’s most politically engaged neighborhoods. “Now we have to mobilize because you don’t win a baseball game in the eighth inning; Nov. 2 is the ninth inning. We’re not taking anything for granted,” Adams said.

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa says not so fast, and he hit the campaign trail Sunday insisting the race is closer than it looks, noting there have been no public polls to show where the candidates stand. “If this guy is crushing me — I’m a candidate of no significance — you would think there would be a poll that would show that,” he said at a campaign stop in Dyker Heights.

Still, reflecting the low interest in the election, Sliwa told us he frequently encounters voters who believe Adams has already been elected mayor and has to explain that nope, there’s still an election for that. “This is still a democracy. He’s not the emperor. It wasn’t a coronation,” Sliwa said.

Before anyone can make it official, early voting will continue every day through Sunday. Election day set for Tuesday, Nov. 2.

IT’S MONDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: [email protected] and [email protected], or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE’S KATHY? In Niagara Falls for the NYS Public Employees Federation convention, then making an announcement at Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Johnson City.

WHERE’S BILL? Holding a media availability and appearing on NY1’s Inside City Hall.

“What Kind of Mayor Might Eric Adams Be? No One Seems to Know,” by The New York Times’ Matt Flegenheimer, Michael Rothfeld and Jeffery C. Mays: “Eric Adams could not resist the story. In a 2019 commencement address, Mr. Adams complained that a neighbor’s dog kept befouling his yard — no matter how polite he was to the owner, no matter his standing as Brooklyn’s borough president. Then a pastor gave him an idea. Mr. Adams slipped on a hoodie and Timberland boots, rang the neighbor’s doorbell and reintroduced himself a little less politely, he said. After that, the dog stayed away. ‘Let people know you are not the one to mess with,’ he advised the predominantly Black graduating class at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. He closed with a prediction for those who said he would never be mayor: ‘I’m going to put my hoodie on, and I’m going to make it happen.’ That electoral prophecy might well hold up. The story does not.”

— “It’s His Town: As he coasts to general-election victory, the post-technocrat, post-progressive Eric Adams mayoralty has already begun,” by New York magazine’s David Freedlander

— Adams asked comptroller nominee Brad Lander to “audit the hell” out of his administration as he rallied with fellow Democratic candidates to get out the vote.

“NYC Tried To Remove NYPD From 911 Mental Health Emergencies — But It’s Had Little Success,” by Gothamist’s Caroline Lewis: “After launching in parts of Harlem this summer, New York City is planning to expand a pilot program that enables 911 to dispatch teams that are led by social workers to mental health calls instead of the NYPD. The B-HEARD program will cover all of Harlem by early November before expanding into the Bronx. But new data released Friday suggests that even as the program’s reach grows, 911 operators still send the overwhelming majority of mental health calls — about three of every four — to police teams. It’s a protocol that New Yorkers with mental illness, their family members and mental health advocates have fought to change in recent years.”

“Bronx councilman steered shelter away from family-owned building,” by New York Post’s Conor Skelding: “A Bronx councilman helped steer a proposed homeless shelter away from a building his family owns, and now supports two shelters that many in the neighborhood say don’t belong. Two men’s shelters with 200 beds each are planned for 1374 Blondell Ave. and 2443 Poplar St. in the borough’s working-class Westchester Square section. Earlier this year, Councilman Mark Gjonaj and the local community board put the kibosh on plans for a shelter of the same size at 1682 Stillwell Ave., in adjacent Morris Park and around the corner from 2100 Eastchester Rd. — a 70-unit apartment building owned by the Gjonaj family.”

“NYCHA Child Care Centers Plagued by Unsanitary and Unsafe Conditions, Operators Say,” by the Fuller Project’s Jessica Washington: “Child care providers in buildings managed by the city’s public housing authority say despite years of fighting for better conditions, youngsters face unsanitary and at times unsafe conditions. And the providers, grappling with massive economic blows due to the pandemic, contend NYCHA has often left them to pick up the tab for necessary repairs … Issues like lack of heat and hot water, mold, leaks and pest problems go beyond the child care centers in NYCHA facilities. Reporting from THE CITY has found widespread issues with lead and mold in New York City public housing units, in addition to poor ventilation that may have helped fuel the spread of COVID-19 in public housing. But some providers in the roughly 400 child care centers in NYCHA complexes say the city should pay special attention to the health risks posed to young children.”

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Walton supporters: 'Buffalo is making waves,'” by Buffalo News’ Aaron Besecker: “India B. Walton got some more big-name, progressive support for her mayoral campaign on Saturday. Hundreds gathered for a downtown rally featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and former gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon. From the stage inside Town Ballroom on Main Street, Ocasio-Cortez said she believes Buffalo will elect Walton as its next mayor. ‘And it’s going to be a shining light for the rest of this country when you do that,’ she told the crowd. Walton, who won the Democratic primary in June and will be the only name on the ballot for Buffalo mayor, faces a write-in challenge from incumbent Byron W. Brown on Election Day Nov. 2. Ocasio-Cortez closed out the rally, speaking for about 16 minutes. ‘Buffalo is making waves, has been making waves,’ she told the crowd. What's happening here is gaining attention from elsewhere in the state, including the Bronx and Queens, she said.”

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand jumped on the Walton train Friday, as the candidate’s progressive supporters have continued to bash statewide elected Democrats for keeping their distance.

— Hochul’s still staying out of it. At a Saturday campaign stop in Colonie the governor told POLITICO’s Bill Mahoney “I’ll be voting for a Democrat” when asked who she’d vote for in her hometown election.

— Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, who is considering a bid for AG, did the CWA picket line photos after attending the AOC rally.

— Walton and Brown are set to debate on Wednesday.

“Letitia James Isn’t Saying Whether She’s Running for Governor. But She Is Hiring,” by The New York Times’ Katie Glueck: “While New York’s political elite awaits some definitive word from Letitia James about whether she intends to run for governor next year, her campaign team is being less guarded. In recent weeks, the team has made four significant new hires, most prominently Celinda Lake, the veteran Democratic strategist who served as one of the two lead pollsters for President Biden in the 2020 campaign, according to multiple people familiar with the hire and confirmed by one of the four people recently brought on board.”

“State Police shake up governor's security detail in wake of Cuomo,” by Times Union’s Brendan J. Lyons: “The State Police this week shook up the leadership of a special unit that's assigned to protect the governor's office but had been pulled into the controversies that engulfed former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who was found to have directed the appointment of a young female trooper to the unit who later became a victim of his alleged sexual harassment. State Police declined earlier this week to provide an update on any leadership or structural changes within the Protective Services Unit, but on Thursday they issued an internal teletype bulletin to members saying that Maj. Douglas Larkin, who oversees the agency's New York City troop, would take over the embattled unit.”

"Policing, public safety issues rise in Albany mayor's race,” by Spectrum News’ Nick Reisman: “Public safety, addressing blight and affordable housing are the key issues being raised by the candidates for mayor, including two-term incumbent Kathy Sheehan. Sheehan this fall faces two opponents — Republican Alicia Purdy and Greg Aidala, who petitioned his way onto an independent line — as well as write-in candidate Valerie Faust. ‘Addressing crime in cities is not a unique concern to Albany this election year. But none of the candidates — including the incumbent herself — believe the concerns over shootings and violent crime being widespread is an excuse for Albany.’”

“State to receive yearly reports on substance abuse in prison under new law,” by Spectrum News’ Nick Reisman: “A bill that requires annual reporting on substance abuse in state prisons was approved Saturday by Gov. Kathy Hochul, her office announced. The legislation approved by the governor also requires the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports to update guidelines on substance abuse reports and require annual reporting on the most commonly used substances and treatments people received … The measure is the latest Hochul has approved concerning the state's criminal justice system, including measures meant to aid formerly incarcerated people once they leave prison.”

#UpstateAmerica: They’re no NYC, but Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany still rank among the Top 50 Rattiest Cities in the United States.

“Giuliani pal Lev Parnas found guilty of campaign finances crimes using Russian cash,” by New York Daily News’ Chris Sommerfeldt: “Former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas was found guilty Friday of orchestrating a bumbling campaign finance scheme to curry favor with Republican politicians using a Russian tycoon’s money. A Manhattan Federal Court jury needed less than six hours of deliberations to return a verdict finding Parnas guilty on all counts. Over nine days, prosecutors portrayed Parnas as a serial fraudster who conspired to illegally funnel $1 million to U.S. politicians he and his business partners thought could help them obtain licenses to sell recreational weed.”

— Anti-vaccine mandate protesters stormed the Barclays Center during a demonstration in support of sidelined Nets star Kyrie Irving.

— A judicial inquiry into the death of Eric Garner is set to begin Monday.

— Robert Durst was charged with the 1982 murder of his wife in Westchester.

— The New York Historical Society is launching a new exhibit featuring the papers of Robert Caro.

— The Albany Diocese of the Episcopal Church this weekend came very close to acknowledging that clergy in the church are allowed to perform same-sex marriages.

— Hochul signed a bill allowing candidates to use their chosen name on the ballot.

— Workers facing layoffs now have a right to ask their employers instead to trim all workers’ hours and have unemployment insurance help offset the losses.

— Opponents of vaccine mandates are using billboards in the Albany area to get out their message.

— A Rikers Island correction officer was hospitalized after being beaten by gang members.

— Two female Rikers Island workers explain sex assaults they faced by inmates.

— Skidmore College officials promised to change their handling of sexual violence reports after about 300 students walked out of class in protest.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: James Carville … Hamilton Place Strategies’ Bryan DeAngelis … CBS’ Jan Crawford … Nasdaq’s Joe Christinat … Louis Burgdorf … JPMorgan Chase’s Irene Baker … Gary Regenstreif … Joel Klein … Edward R. Korman …

… (was Sunday): Marty Baron … Tony Podesta … NYT’s Jonathan Weisman … NPR’s Tim Mak … Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook … POLITICO’s Kellie Mejdrich … CNN’s Bonney Kapp … former Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.) … Roman Abramovich … Deadline’s Ted Johnson … CNN’s Pamela Kirkland … Henry Schuster of “60 Minutes” … Liz Spayd … Judy Kopff … Carlton Forbes … Ira Greenfest ... Joseph Rothstein ... Yitzy Weinberg … Zephyr Teachout turned 5-0 …

... (was Saturday): Sanjay Gupta ... Vanity Fair’s Caleb Ecarma ... Gerald Sorin … Condé Nast’s Corey Wilson … ACLU’s Vikrum Aiyer … Finsbury Glover Hering’s Peter Benton-Sullivan … Sheena Tahilramani … Matthew Barzun … Ken Feinberg ... Insider’s Ryan Barber ... NYT’s John Koblin … Meghan Mitchum of Proxy … Ken Kurson … Brian Ross … Arielle Tait … James Kotecki

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Political consultant and businessman Bradley Tusk is leaving his Manhattan-based firm, Tusk Strategies, to focus on other endeavors. The campaign manager to Mike Bloomberg’s 2009 re-election bid and early investor in Uber will shift his focus to his venture capital operation and his Tusk Montgomery Charitable Foundation, which is spending millions of dollars to create a mobile voting system. Replacing him as co-CEOs of Tusk Strategies are Chris Coffey — who worked in Mike Bloomberg’s City Hall and managed Andrew Yang’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign — and Matt Yale, a longtime aide to Obama who recently ran Tusk's regulatory affairs. They will divide the role for the firm, which Tusk founded 11 years ago. About two-thirds of the company’s business is national in scope, and the remainder is New York City-focused. Its client roster includes Walmart, language services company TransPerfect, Ronald Lauder, Pfizer and Al Sharpton. — Sally Goldenberg

MEDIAWATCH — Per Talking Biz News: “Anne Michaud is joining Crain’s New York to work as an assistant managing editor. Recently, she served as an audience voice reporter at The Wall Street Journal.”

FOUR BYLINES! — “Hunter Biden’s wife seen at SoHo gallery as controversial art show opens,” by New York Post’s Isabel Vincent, Khristina Narizhnaya, Steven Vago and Melissa Klein

SPOTTED at the 82nd Overseas Press Club of America awards dinner held at Cipriani’s in NYC on Friday night, where Christopher Dickey was given the President’s Award posthumously, and Maggie Haberman delivered the keynote: Dana Thomas, Francois Picard, Vivienne Walt, Sally Buzbee, Sarah Ellison, James Dickey, Robert Nickelsberg and Kevin Kallaugher.

“Home sales slow in New York as prices continue to soar," by USA Today Network’s Joseph Spector: “The median sale price of homes in New York climbed for the 17 consecutive month in September, but diminishing supply led sales to decline for the first time in more than a year, according to the state Association of Realtors. The results again reflected how the housing market continues to sizzle, particularly in the New York City area, but also how demand is outpacing supply. September was the first time since August 2020 that the number of sales fell month over month, the association said. But at the same time, those who are selling their homes are getting premium prices. Median sales prices in New York escalated to $378,000 in September, an 18.5% increase from the $319,000 price a year ago.”