Republican candidate for NYC mayor tried to bring his cat to vote

Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate for New York City mayor, brought a special guest with him to vote on Tuesday: his cat.

But Gizmo, one of the 17 felines he lives with in a studio apartment, was denied entry to the polling site in Manhattan sending the politician into a fury.

He later shouted: “Arrest me!” when they asked him to take off a red jacket with his name on it because they said it broke election rules.

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It wasn’t the only hurdle he had to overcome that day. His ballot jammed in the scanning machine, and it had to be repaired.

Mr Sliwa said the experience “couldn’t have been more hostile”.

Mr Sliwa has highlighted an animal welfare platform as part of his run - he said Gizmo was almost euthanized after getting a fungus.

“Gizmo was on the kill list. Thank God my wife was able to save Gizmo.”