27% of voters in 25th district special election missed last three legislative elections

More than one-quarter of the ballots cast so far in the 25th district special election for State Senate and Assembly have not voted in at least the last three legislative elections, offering an interesting glimpse into the influence of federal election year voters in two important local contests.

A total of 27% of the current electorate did not vote in 2015, 2017 and 2019, the last three state elections.

That leaves State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco (R-Boonton), who is campaigning for the unexpired term of his late father, seeking support from 25th district voters who have either never voted for him, or haven’t voted for him in at least seven years.

The Morris County-based district had over 23,600 votes cast as of Monday.

A New Jersey Globe analysis of the ballots already recorded as received by local election boards show the 27% of the votes cast come from 25th district voters who skipped the last three elections when Bucco was on the ballot for the State Assembly.

That doesn’t mean voters don’t know who Bucco is – or even if they support or oppose him – just that they haven’t voted in the last three elections where his name was on the ballot.

Of the votes already cast, 46.7% of them come from Democrats, 31.2% from Republicans, and 22% from unaffiliated voters sometimes referred to as independents.

New Jersey is one of five states that holds elections for the state legislature in odd-numbered years.  The state’s modern-day founding fathers decided in 1947 that New Jersey was best-served not trying candidates for governor or the legislature to more dominant federal elections or national issues.

Broken down by political party: 20.8% of the Democrats, 21.4 of Republicans, and 48.5% of unaffiliateds whose ballots have already been marked as received in county election offices did not vote in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections.

Bucco faces Democrat Rupande Mehta for a thirteen-month unexpired term in the State Senate.  Longtime State Sen. Anthony R. Bucco died in September 2019 and his son, then a five-term assemblyman, replaced him.

Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Mendham), who has won two special election convention to replace Bucco in the lower house, faces Chester Democratic Municipal Chair Darcy Draeger.