Good morning, New Jersey, it’s Election Day

Good morning, New Jersey.

It’s 6 AM and the polls are now open.

Actually, they’ve been open in some parts of New Jersey since September, when ballots began going out in the state’s first election conducted primarily through vote-by-mail ballots as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

As of last night, New Jerseyans had cast 3,618,139 votes.  Most expect the total number of votes in this election to beat the state record of 3,957,303 from 2016 – and surpass 4 million for the first time in New Jersey history.

Don’t miss the 2020 New Jersey Globe Voter’s Guide.

Here are some highlights of what New Jersey voters will decide today:

* A contest for President of the United States between the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump, and Democrat Joe Biden.

* A race for United State Senate between Democratic incumbent Cory Booker and his GOP challenger, Dr. Rik Mehta.

* Twelve races for the U.S. House of Representatives, where ten Democrats and two Republicans want to hold their seats for another two years.

* Special elections for State Senate and Assembly in the Morris-county based 25th district.

* County elections in all 21 counties, including a control election for the Cumberland County Board of Freeholders – soon to the County Commissioners – and possible party flips for Surrogate in Atlantic and Somerset counties.

* Hundreds of municipal elections, including hotly contested mayoral races in Perth Amboy, Scotch Plains and Howell.

* Referendums seeking voter approval on the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana and an extension of the current legislative map, if the 2020 Census numbers aren’t certified by February 15, 2021.

Voters who have not yet returned their vote-by-mail ballots may vote in-person by paper ballot at a polling location in their municipality.  Click here to locate your polling place.

Unreturned ballots can be dropped off at your polling location, or at a secure ballot drop box in your county. Click here to locate a drop box near you.  Ballots can also be delivered to the county Board of Elections office.

Election officials are strongly urging voters seeking to return ballots today not to use the U.S. Postal Service.  If you insist on using the mail, go to your local post office and watch them postmark it.  Seriously, don’t trust the post office with your ballot – it’s too valuable.

Voters can take responsibility for their own ballot by tracking it to make sure county election officials have it.  Click here to track your ballot.

If you mailed or dropped off your ballot and it doesn’t show up as received – some won’t; election officials are running a little behind – you have the option of going to their hometown polling location and voting by provisional ballot.

Election officials won’t count your provisional if your VBM ballot arrives on time.

A VBM election comes with complications, and some races are unlikely to be decided today.

The polls close at 8 PM, even in Cedar Grove.