TRENTON, N.J. – 1,281,003 New Jerseyans had already returned their ballots as of Tuesday. That means statewide voter turnout is already at over 46% with a few days left to go before Election Day 2020.
Democrats – who boast a one million state-wide voter registration advantage over the GOP – had sent 1,281,003 ballots. The mail-in ballots of 707,446 Republicans and 771,539 unaffiliated voters have also been received by county board of elections offices across all 21 New Jersey counties.
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Unlike some states, New Jersey does not have an election day “in person” voting option except for certain cases where the voter has a disability. Voters who show up on Election Day will need to cast provisional ballots which means their vote may ultimately not count in the final total. The Democrat return rate of 53.7% is only a hair better than the GOP return rate of 51.5%.
Due to the Murphy Administration’s decision to hold an all-remote fall election, over 6 million New Jersey registered voters received mail-in ballots regardless of whether they requested them. The huge number of outstanding ballots means there is the potential for a historic turnout but no one knows for sure. This is unchartered territory.
New Jersey turnout for Election 2016 was 68%.
The modern standout year was 73% in 2008.