New turnout numbers show no less than 60,567 uncounted ballots in NJ-2 race between Van Drew, Kennedy

The least number of ballots still uncounted in New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district is 60,567, making the contest between Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) and Democrat Amy Kennedy still too close to call.

Van Drew currently leads Kennedy by 9,452 votes, 144,949 to 135,497.

Late last night, Kennedy narrowed the lead by 111 votes after 6,639 new votes were added to the Cumberland County tally.

The 60,567 total includes only the four counties entirely within the 2nd district: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem.  The other four – Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Ocean – only have parts of NJ-2 and election officials have not yet released town-by-town numbers.

Atlantic is the most thorough number so far.

A total of 129,749 votes were cast there, and 116,657 have been counted.  That leaves an additional 13,092 ballots still uncounted, but with 9,383 provisional ballots, the total Atlantic County number still to come is no less than 22,475.  That number could grow as mail-in ballots  postmarked by Election Day continue to arrive at the Board of Elections office until close of business on November 10.

Kennedy had an Election Day lead over Van Drew in Atlantic County of 4,736 votes.

In Cumberland, there are no less than 25,127 ballots that are still uncounted.  That number does not include provisionals or ballots dropped off at polling places by voters, or late arriving ballots.

Kennedy has a 4,868-vote lead over Van Drew in Cumberland.

Salem is expected to begin counting 7,847 ballots at 4 PM today.  That includes 6,102 uncounted VBM ballots and 1,745 provisionals, but not late arriving ballots coming in through the U.S. Postal Service.

Van Drew leads in Salem by 2,173 votes.

Cape May, which is Van Drew’s political base, has 5,118 uncounted ballots, not including provisionals, in-person drop offs, or late arriving VBMs.  A total of 51,439 of the 56,557 ballots have already been cast, and Van Drew leads in Salem by 9,741 votes.

Pre-election ballot tracking in the other counties were nearly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

In the Ocean County portion of NJ-2, about 44% of returned ballots came from Republicans and 26% from Democrats.  Gloucester County’s 2nd district vote was 40% from Democrats and 30% from Republicans.

Burlington and Camden represent tiny percentages of the total registered voters in NJ-2.