By Donald Gilpin
With a high-stakes, closely contested race for New Jersey’s next governor at the top of the ballot and many local offices also up for grabs, early voting will begin on Saturday, October 25 and continues through Sunday, November 2 at eight different locations throughout Mercer County, including the Princeton Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street.
Election Day for voting in person at your polling place is Tuesday, November 4, and vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. on November 4, placed in one of the county’s drop boxes, or delivered to the Board of Elections Office by 8 p.m. November 4. Visit vote.nj.gov for drop box locations and further information.
Democrats and Republicans differ sharply on many of the issues and on their choices of candidates, but leaders in both parties agree that it’s important for everyone who’s eligible to be sure to vote.
“It’s crucial for shaping the future,” said Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello, who is on the ballot for reelection for a fifth term as county clerk. “There are so many reasons why voting matters. It might feel as if your vote doesn’t matter, but voting for what you believe does matter. When people organize and make their voices heard, society can improve.”
Princeton Municipal Republican Committee Chair Dudley Sipprelle emphasized that New Jersey Republicans are working hard to increase voting numbers. “It all depends on turnout,” he said. “Get out and vote.”
The Democratic camp has its own perspective on the importance of going to the polls. “Big picture, if you value democracy and the right all Americans have to participate in choosing their leaders, you must vote and exercise that right, or we will lose it,” said Princeton Community Democratic Organization President Jeffrey Oakman.
He continued, “Make no mistake, the assault on American democracy is real, and Americans of all parties have to stand up for what makes us Americans, before it is too late. If New Jerseyans vote, Democrats will win.”
Covello noted that, as of October 20, 46,377 mail-in ballots had been sent out and 18,955 returned from Mercer County residents and that Princeton residents had received 5,071 ballots and so far returned 2,271.
She pointed out that early voting was popular last year and that county officials have established an additional early voting site at the Mercer County Library branch in West Windsor.
“We’re hoping to have a high turnout,” said Covello. “We’re hoping to have high engagement from the public. The entire Assembly is on the ballot, as well as the governor, county races, and local races throughout the state.”
She disputed the use of the term “off-year,” which typically refers to years when there is no presidential or voter national election on the ballot, to describe this election. “It’s not really an off-year in my mind,” she said. “It’s the gubernatorial election year. New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states that have gubernatorial elections this year.”
The much-publicized election for the next governor to succeed Phil Murphy is considered to be a strong indicator of voters’ sentiments towards the two political parties and as a bellwether for next year’s congressional midterm elections.
On the ballot for Princeton voters, in addition to the gubernatorial race, are uncontested contests for two Princeton Council seats and three seats on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education (BOE), as well as competitive Mercer County races for county clerk and board of commissioners, and the election for two seats from the 16th legislative (LD16) district in the 80-member New Jersey Assembly.
Incumbent Democrats Roy Freiman and Michelle Drulis are running against Republican challengers Scott Sipos and Catherine Payne for the two seats in the General Assembly.
For the county clerk position Republican Shaolin Brown is challenging Democrat incumbent Covello. Democrat incumbents Nina Melker and Cathleen L. Lewis are facing Republican opponents Daniel J. Hanly Jr. and Alexander DiFalco in the race for two seats as county commissioners.
In Princeton, Democrats Michelle Pirone Lambros and Mia Sacks are running unopposed, with two seats available, for a third term on Princeton Council.
In the BOE race, which is traditionally highly competitive, it has been an uncharacteristically quiet campaign season this year. Dafna Kendal, Susan Kanter, and Erica Snyder are running unopposed for three available seats. Snyder will be a new member of the BOE, with Kendal entering her fourth term and Kanter her third.
Oakman and Sipprelle discussed the outlook for their candidates, Mikie Sherrill for the Democrats and Jack Ciattarelli for the Republicans, in the election for governor.
“In general I think the Democrats’ prospects are good because their agenda of making New Jersey more affordable, protecting health care for New Jersey families, and preserving democracy and the rule of law in the face of grave threats is the agenda that New Jersey wants,” said Oakman, claiming that Ciattarelli and the Republicans are “fully in the thrall of Trump’s destructive and immoral policies.”
He added, “However the race will be close, in part because many people either do not vote or do not pay attention to what is going on.”
Sipprelle emphasized that he expects to see a Republican in the New Jersey statehouse in 2026. “Jack’s partisans are very excited about his prospects, and we think that the polls we’ve seen are not to be believed,” Sipprelle said, noting that Ciattrelli lost by only three percentage points in his 2021 race for governor against Murphy.
He continued, “It’s a tight race to be sure, but we think we’ve got the enthusiasm factor, and we think he’s going to be our new governor.”
Early voting hours for the nine days beginning this Saturday are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Election Day voting hours on November 4 are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at your designated polling place. See vote.nj.gov for locations and further information.