Crime-weary New Yorkers began casting ballots Saturday for the start of early voting in the hotly contested race for the next governor.

The polls opened at 9 a.m. across the Big Apple with some voters showing up soon thereafter.

Lower East Side resident Vicky Shi, 33, cast her ballot at a school complex on Henry Street — and said she had voted straight Republican.

“I just feel sick about the past few years and democracy… just disappointed. I feel less safe in New York City now,” said Shi, a registered Republican.

A voter in Bay Ridge told The Post said he was a registered Democrat — but said crime and other factors were motivating him to vote Republican.

“Democrats are ruining the city. Crime is up, they’re focused on issues that aren’t important. The current leadership is dropping the ball on every issue,” the man said.

Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul at the top of the ticket. Congressional contests are also on the ballot.

Bay Ridge resident Maria Attardo, 69, a retired teacher and former Democrat, said she was supporting Zeldin. 

“I don’t like our governor now. She just doesn’t do anything… I’m definitely concerned about crime,” Attardo said.

Manny Cartagena, 65, who lives in the Gouverneur Gardens co-op complex on the Lower East Side, said he was spurred to vote blue.

“The economy and inflation is important — definitely very important — but a woman’s right to choose is a big one for me,” Cartagena said.

He said he wanted to vote early because he was worried about the potential for violence as Election Day on Nov. 8 drew closer.

“I mean, you’re hearing in the news just a lot of things going on and so it’s better to get out there and vote early and don’t wait until the last minute,” he said.

In Bay Ridge, where voters were also choosing between re-electing Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis or Democrat Max Rose, the city’s rising crime rate was a deciding factor for some.

“I’m a Republican and I don’t believe Kathy Hochul. I’m tired of the crime and I’m tired of the lies. Didn’t do anything about the bail reform. I understand it was a social experiment, but when it didn’t work right and they could have changed it to better things, they chose not to,” said a voter named John, 70, who declined to provide his last name and said he left the Democratic party two years ago.

An 81-year-old Bay Ridge man said he cast his ballot for Republicans. 

“I will never vote for a Democrat ever again. They’ve destroyed the education system, they’ve destroyed crime, everything,” he said.

Zeldin, speaking to a crowd of about 250 at a rally in Middle Village Saturday, said there was a “crime emergency” in the state.

“If Kathy Hochul will not declare it, if the state legislature right now will not come to the table to fix it, we will make the state legislature come to the table on day one,” Zeldin said. “As soon as we are sworn into office, we will declare a crime emergency here in the state of New York.”

Earlier Saturday he told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that NYPD cops were furious that their union donated $25,000 to Hochul’s campaign

“We have heard from a lot of NYPD officers who are pissed off [after] learning that their money went to Kathy Hochul, who is pandering to these pro-criminal allies in the state Legislature,” Zeldin said.

Hochul was campaigning in Rochester and Syracuse Saturday.

The polls will close at 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and then follow a varying schedule through Nov. 6. They will close for one day ahead of re-opening for Election Day.