Registered Democrats have taken a substantial lead in New Jersey’s early voting, with new figures released Monday showing a widening gap ahead of the November 3 congressional elections.
Democrats Lead on Opening Day
Early in-person voting began Saturday, October 24, across New Jersey.
According to figures reported by the New Jersey Globe, 84,091 residents voted in person on the first day.
Of those voters:
- 47,984 were registered Democrats (57.1%).
- 20,989 were registered Republicans (25%).
- 14,848 were unaffiliated voters (17.7%).
- 270 were registered with other political parties.
Registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by nearly 27,000 ballots, representing more than twice the Republican turnout.
New Figures Show a Wider Gap
A report published October 26 shows that registered Democrats had cast 385,097 ballots through early in-person and mail voting combined, compared with 124,666 by registered Republicans.
That represents an advantage of more than 260,000 ballots.
Democrats accounted for 63.1% of ballots cast so far, while Republicans represented 20.4%.
The figures also show Democrats ahead among early voters in all 21 New Jersey counties.
Competitive Congressional Districts
The first-day results attracted particular attention in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett.
On Saturday, 5,729 registered Democrats voted early in the district, compared with 3,345 Republicans.
Registered Democrats also led in the 2nd Congressional District, where Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew faces Democratic challenger Zach Mullock.
What Do These Numbers Mean?
Although Democratic participation has been significantly higher, these figures do not indicate which candidates voters actually supported.
The statistics identify voters by party registration, not by their ballot choices. Registered voters can support candidates from another party, and unaffiliated voters may play an important role.
The figures also exclude ballots that have not yet been cast.
Early in-person voting continues through November 1, with Election Day scheduled for November 3.
The coming days will provide a clearer picture of overall voter participation as New Jersey approaches the congressional elections.
Sources: New Jersey Globe, October 25–26, 2026; New Jersey Division of Elections.
By NJ RADAR Team