Voter registration slows after election, but GOP retains edge

About 16,000 New Jerseyans registered to vote last month, according to the first voter registration update since the November election.

Donald Trump’s election last month has not slowed down recent Republican gains in Garden State voter registration: The GOP registered 6,239 new voters last month, nearly triple the growth of 2,261 for Democrats in November. 7,381 unaffiliated voters registered last month — as expected, fewer residents registered to vote last month compared to prior months when voter drives were at full steam.

It’s too soon to determine how Trump’s re-ascendance to the Oval Office could play with prospective New Jersey voters. The businessman’s 2016 election spurred years of strong voter registration for Democrats, but last month’s numbers don’t show a surge in energy in favor of Democrats.

Republicans continue to chip at the massive voter registration lead the Democrats garnered during the Trump years. The advantage, which once stood at more than 1 million, now stands at 902,321. The GOP could very well dip it below 900,000 by the new year.

As of the December update, Democrats account for 37.6% of registered voters, while registered Republicans comprise 24.2% of the electorate. Unaffiliated voters still account for a plurality of the state’s registered voters at 36.9%.

6,743,239 voters are registered in New Jersey.

About 14,000 voters registered in November of 2020, similar to this November’s total. The November 2020 numbers, though, were about split between Democrats and Republicans. That couldn’t be farther from the truth this year.