Close to 600,000 people will get their first chance to cast in-person ballots on Thursday in the special primary election to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.
The unusual February election is limited to voters in the 11th District, which encompasses all or part of 14 municipalities in Essex County, 28 in Morris and four in Passaic. An April 16 election will determine who will fill the term through Jan. 3, 2027.
About 17,000 Democrats and Republican voted by mail, accounting for about a quarter of postal ballots sent, which may indicate high voter enthusiasm. Democrats cast eight in 10 mailed ballots.
The names of 13 Democrats appear on the primary ballot, although two have dropped out. Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway is the only Republican running.
Six days of in-person voting start at 10 a.m. at 14 polling locations in Bloomfield, Belleville, Fairfield, West Orange, Montclair, Boonton Township, Denville, Hanover, Madison, Morristown, Parsippany, Wayne (two sites) and Woodland Park. Polling places are open until 8 p.m. today, Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Traditional voting will be on Feb. 5 from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Voters can check their mailed sample ballots or use the state’s online locator to find their polling sites.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 5 or placed in a secure drop box in a voter’s home county. County officials must receive ballots by Feb. 11 for them to be recorded.
Sherrill resigned on Nov. 20 after she was elected to replace Governor Phil Murphy. House Republicans hold a five-member advantage, with four vacancies.
The Democrats on the ballot are: John Bartlett, a Passaic County commissioner; Zachary Beecher, a member of the Army Reserve from Morristown; J-L Cauvin, community advocate, lawyer and professional comedian from Bloomfield; Cammie Croft, who served in President Barack Obama’s administration and worked for Amnesty International; Brendan Gill, an Essex County commissioner; Jeff Grayzel, a Morris Township committee member; former 7th District Representative Tom Malinowski; Analilia Mejia, a Glen Ridge resident who is co-executive director of the advocacy group Popular Democracy; Justin Strickland, a Chatham councilman and former Army captain; Tahesha Way, the immediate past lieutenant governor who also served as secretary of state; and Anna Lee Williams, a social justice activist who lives in Morristown. Dean Dafis and Marc Chaaban suspended their campaigns, but their names remain on the ballot.
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