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    • New Jersey record early voter turnout
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    New Jersey record early voter turnout

    Vaseline Posted on

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

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

    These totals are already higher than the 124,197 from early in-person voting and the 421,573 from mail-in voting released last year.

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

    “I think it’s been an overwhelming success,” he said. “You can vote in different ways and if you can vote in multiple ways, there is a good chance that participation will increase.”

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

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

    Election Guide: Our coverage of the 2024 New Jersey elections for federal, local and school races

    Where can I vote early in North Jersey?

    The polling stations are open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    Voting will take place at specific early locations in each county that are likely 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 Division of Elections website.

    What about mail-in ballots?

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

    Provisional ballots are used as a defense against voter fraud. They are cast by voters whose eligibility to vote cannot be confirmed during the election on Election Day or if they have requested a mail-in ballot. If, after the election, it is determined that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was eligible to vote, the ballot will be counted.

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

    Vaseline
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