New Jersey is seeing a strong start to early voting, with over 400,000 mail-in ballots already returned, signaling excitement ahead of the gubernatorial election.

One year after Donald Trump retook the White House and set into motion a dramatic expansion of executive power, the Republican president figures prominently in state and local elections being held Tuesday.

New Jersey Republicans notched a more competitive in-person voting turnout so far relative to 2021, but are still lagging behind overall in their early vote position compared to four years ago,

The 2024 presidential election saw a record number of New Jersey voters participate in early voting with 1,172,842 ballots cast during the nine-day period. In 2023, just 124,197 people used the early in-person voting option. The opportunity to vote early in person was first made available in New Jersey in 2021.

Here are the candidates and important dates to keep in mind: New Jersey is set to elect its 57th governor, on Tuesday Nov. 4, 2025. That day the state will elect the General Assembly members of its 222nd legislature. Tuesday, Oct. 14 is the last day to register to vote.

Ken Sutton remembers marching with Jesse Jackson as a teenager, speaking out against supermarket redlining in Chicago. “As a 15-year-old, I didn’t know stores like that existed,” Sutton recalled during his time growing up in the largest city in Illinois.

Early voting period started on Oct. 25. Registered voters can now go vote. Here's what to know, candidates, schedule