New Jersey record early voter turnout

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New Jersey’s first weekend of early in-person voting saw record turnout.

There were 135,075 early voters across the Garden State on Saturday and 111,928 on Sunday. Of the 1,098,115 issued, about 611,535 mail-in ballots were also returned so far, according to state election officials.

Those totals are already higher than the 124,197 from early in-person voting and the 421,573 from ballots per mail submitted last year.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday there were no reports of machine problems, but there had been reports of long lines across the state.

“I think it’s an overwhelming success,” he said. “You can vote in more ways, and if you could vote in a lot of ways, the chances are that participation will increase.”

Murphy noted that early in-person voting runs through Sunday, and voting by mail is possible through Election Day.

Bergen County led the pack on both days with 13,094 voters casting ballots on Saturday and 11,353 on Sunday. Essex County had 8,100 and 6,291, respectively. Morris County had 9,919 and 8,275 respectively, Passaic County had 7,157 and 5,788 respectively, and Sussex County had 2,827 and 2,419.

Selection guide: Our coverage of New Jersey’s 2024 elections for federal, local and school races

Where can I vote early in North Jersey?

Polls will be open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday from 10am to 6pm

Voting takes place at specific early locations in each county that are likely to be different from the local polling place used on Election Day.

There are 6,659,963 registered voters in the state, or about 71% of the population.

Each county has multiple early voting locations. Bergen County has nine, Essex County has 10, Morris County has eight, Passaic County has 10 and Sussex County has three. Specific addresses can be found on the state’s Department of Elections website.

What about postal ballots?

Voters who were issued a postal ballot at this election are expected to vote using this ballot. If they go to a polling station to cast an in-person vote instead, they will only be able to vote via provisional ballot instead of voting on a machine in the traditional way. The electronic poll book at their polling station will show that they have already received a ballot paper.

Provisional ballots are used as a way to defend against voter fraud. They are submitted by voters whose eligibility cannot be confirmed at the poll on election day, or if they have applied for a postal vote. If, after the election, it is established that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was entitled to vote, the ballot will be counted.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: [email protected]