Almost 245,000 votes cast for tomorrow’s primary election

New Jerseyans have cast 244,411 votes in advance of tomorrow’s primary election, with 76% of them coming from Democrats and 24% from Republicans.

Three days of early voting produced 24,103 votes, 64% from Democrats and 36% from Republicans.

The number represents 49% of all votes cast in the 2019 primary, where voter turnout was 8% statewide, and 87% of the total statewide vote in 2015 when turnout was at 5%.

Voters have returned 220,308 mail-in ballots, 30% of those mailed by election officials.  Democrats sent back 32% of their VBMs; 28% of Republican vote-by-mail ballots have been returned to county election boards.

Hudson County delivered the highest number of in-person early votes, 3,942 Democrats and 268 Republicans.  More than half of all early votes cast in Hudson came from Union City, where Mayor/State Sen. Brian P. Stack revved up his organization to help introduce early voting in the city.    Middlesex produced the second-highest early vote total: 1,867 Democrats and 445 Republicans.

Camden County produced the most returned vote-by-mail ballots: 25,420 Democrats and 5,239 Republicans, with 38% of Democrats sending back their VBMs – eight points above the statewide average.

Middlesex also produced the second-most number of mail-in ballots returned: 23,945 Democrats and 4,286 Republicans.

Most of the key legislative races are returning vote-by-mail ballots at a higher rate than the statewide average:

* 3rd District Republicans: 1,994 returned VBMs (41%);  311 early votes; 2,305 total advance votes; Gloucester (61%), Salem (28%), Cumberland (11%).

* 4th District Republicans: 2,764 returned VBMs (39%); 327 early votes; 2,091 total advance votes; Gloucester (40%), Camden (55%), Atlantic (5%).

* 24th District Republicans: 2,071 returned VBMs (35%); 586 early votes; 2,657 total advance votes; Sussex (67%), Morris (26%), Warren (7%).

* 26th District Republicans: 2,003 returned VBMs (33%); 800 early votes; 2,803 total advance votes; Morris (93%), Passaic (7%).

* 27th District Democrats:  5,031 returned VBMs (29%); 536 early votes; 5,567 total advance votes; Essex (84%), Passaic (16%).

* 28th District Democrats:  2,867 returned VBMs (24%); 397 early votes; 3,264 total advance votes; Essex (88%), Union (12%).