N.J. adds 9k voters in May as unaffiliateds lead the way

The state added 9,407 registered voters in May, and while Republicans continued their gains on the Democratic advantage, the month wasn’t as dominant for the GOP.

The state added 2,768 Republicans, 2,226 Democrats, and 4,472 unaffiliated voters last month, according to voter registration data. May was a respite for Democrats, whose onetime million-voter lead has now fallen to about 827,000. 

Voter registration for the June 10 primary ended May 20.

The New Jersey GOP said Republicans have gained on Democrats for 53 straight months, but May was still the strongest for Democrats in some time. The Democratic Party added just 717 registrants in March and 485 in April. Democrats lost some 2,000 registrants in January, and of course lost many more during the voter roll purge of February. 

The close finish in May is likely at least somewhat due to the competitive gubernatorial and legislative primaries for Democrats across the state. The Republican primary for governor has seen much less spending and is not considered as tight.

Going into June, Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state 2,451,752 to 1,624,437. Unaffiliated voters continue to close in on Democrats with 2,423,449.

Voter registration data can offer some insight into public sentiment, but more than a third of the state’s voters are still unaffiliated.

Voters can check the status of their voter registration here.