Republicans are widening their Election Day turnout advantage in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, but Democrats still lead in total ballots cast as Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) seeks a third term against Democrat Rebecca Bennett.
An updated analysis by Umichvoter shows that 38,167 Republicans have voted in person on Election Day, compared with 29,058 Democrats and 22,642 unaffiliated voters.
Republicans account for 42% of Election Day turnout, compared with 32% for Democrats and 25% for unaffiliated voters.
That gives Republicans a 9,109-vote Election Day advantage, up from 3,048 votes in the morning.
But Bennett still benefits from a substantial Democratic advantage in advance voting.
Of the 237,283 ballots cast so far, 101,636 came from registered Democrats, 80,561 from Republicans, and 55,086 from unaffiliated voters.
Democrats hold a 21,075-vote advantage among voters who have already participated, down from 27,136 earlier in the day.
Republicans are dominating Election Day turnout in Hunterdon County, where they account for 51% of voters, and Warren County, where they represent 53%. In Morris County, Republicans lead Democrats 47% to 28%.
In Somerset County, Republicans account for 42% of Election Day voters, compared with 30% for Democrats.
Union County remains the exception, with Democrats outvoting Republicans 43% to 29%.
The numbers remain incomplete. Five of the district’s six counties have reported Election Day turnout, but Sussex County, a Republican stronghold, has not yet reported meaningful figures.
The remaining pool of potential voters includes 137,665 Republicans, 100,895 Democrats, and 165,183 unaffiliated voters.
That leaves Republicans with 36,770 more registered voters who have not yet cast ballots, although Democrats have already banked substantially more votes.
The figures reflect party registration, not votes for individual candidates, and unaffiliated voters could play a significant role in determining the outcome.