NEW JERSEY — More than a week after the November 3 general election, 16 local races across New Jersey remain too close to call. Two contests are tied, four have margins of just one vote, and several others could be decided by mail-in and provisional ballots that have yet to be counted.
The unresolved races involve mayoral offices, municipal councils, township committees, and school boards. According to a November 11 analysis by the New Jersey Globe, every one of the 16 contests has a reported margin of ten votes or fewer.
In some municipalities, the number of outstanding ballots is far greater than the difference between the candidates, leaving the final outcome uncertain.
Two Elections End in Ties
In Manasquan, Monmouth County, Democrat Sheila Vidreiro and Republican Michael Long each have 1,480 votes in the contest for the final Borough Council seat. Another 41 ballots remain outstanding, including seven mail-in ballots and 34 provisional ballots.
A school board race in Belvidere, Warren County, is also tied. Maryann Stephen and Virginia Walton have received 415 votes each for the final seat on the Board of Education. Fifteen ballots have yet to be processed.
Either race could be decided by a handful of additional votes.
One Vote Separates Candidates in Four Towns
The mayoral election in South Toms River is among the closest in the state. Democratic challenger GiGi Esparza leads Republican incumbent Mayor Oscar Cradle by a single vote, 436 to 435.
One mail-in ballot remained to be processed as of the latest figures cited in the report, although the published candidate totals may not reflect provisional ballots counted afterward.
In Harrison Township, Gloucester County, Democrat Blake Richardson leads Republican Kevin French by just one vote, 2,837 to 2,836, in the race for Township Committee.
The margin is equally narrow in Seaside Heights, where Meghan Cabalar leads Matthew Wright, 171 to 170, for a seat on the Board of Education.
In Andover Township, Sussex County, Republican Thomas Walsh Jr. holds a one-vote lead over independent candidate Kenneth Collins, 966 to 965, for a Township Committee seat. Another Republican, Suzanne Howell, remains close behind with 962 votes.
Close Races in Bergen County
Bergen County has two particularly close contests, including one that could determine who serves as mayor of Ramsey.
Democrat Angelo LaManna Jr. leads Republican incumbent Mayor Deirdre Dillon by seven votes, 3,275 to 3,268. Fifty ballots were listed as outstanding, including six mail-in ballots and 44 provisional ballots.
The reported totals date to November 5, meaning subsequent ballot counting may already have changed the margin.
In Northvale, Republican Hovannes Bakalian leads fellow Republican Laura Fernandez by two votes, 921 to 919, in the contest for the second available Borough Council seat.
Fourteen ballots remain outstanding, and the published totals do not yet include all mail-in voting.
Another closely contested Bergen County election is taking place in Palisades Park, where Grace Song leads Hea “Helen” Jeon by four votes, 1,256 to 1,252, for the final seat on the Board of Education.
The borough had 106 ballots awaiting processing in the figures reviewed by the New Jersey Globe, although not all may affect that particular contest.
More Ballots Still to Be Counted
Several other municipalities face similarly narrow margins.
In Commercial Township, Cumberland County, Republican Ronald Sutton leads Democrat Fletcher Jamison by two votes in a Township Committee race.
In Lincoln Park, Morris County, Democrat Lisa Walker leads Republican William Cassidy by nine votes, while 88 ballots were reported outstanding.
Mountain Lakes also has a nine-vote margin in a school board contest, with Jessica Bollenbach leading Jennifer Parker, 700 to 691. Ninety-nine ballots remained outstanding in the reported figures.
Other close races include Andover Borough, Lindenwold, Mount Holly, and Laurel Springs, where margins range from three to eight votes.
Election officials are continuing to review mail-in and provisional ballots as counties prepare to certify their results. In some areas, the remaining provisional ballot count is expected to be completed by Friday, November 13.
Not every outstanding ballot will necessarily be accepted or apply to the particular race. Updated totals, corrections during the official canvass, and possible recounts could also affect the results.
For candidates separated by only one or two votes, the final count could change who takes office. The close contests also illustrate a basic reality of local elections: even a single ballot can make the difference between winning and losing.
Sources: New Jersey Globe, David Wildstein, November 11, 2026, “Sixteen New Jersey Races Decided by Ten Votes or Fewer in Unofficial Election Results.”
By NJ RADAR Team