The polls are open for N.J.’s big primary elections. Here’s what you need to know. (2024)

The polls are now open for New Jersey’s big Primary Election Day 2024.

There are several races on the ballot this year, topped by the battle for the White House between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. There are also contests for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by the indicted Robert Menendez, all 12 of the state’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a number of local elections.

Tuesday’s primaries will determine the major-party nominations to run in November’s general election in all those races.

Also of note: The primary ballot has undergone a dramatic and historic change for Democratic voters. The unique but controversial ballot design known as “the county line” was eliminated this year in the party’s primary because of a landmark legal decision.

Under the system, party-endorsed candidates receive the most prominent placement on the ballot — which critics have long said gives party bosses and political machines immense power and diminished competitive primaries. This year, candidates in the Democratic primary are listed simply by the office they are seeking. The setup remains intact on the Republican side, at least for now.

Here’s what you need to know:

WHEN ARE POLLS OPEN?

Polls across New Jersey are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you are allowed to vote. The same goes for if you’re dropping off a vote-by-mail ballot in a dropbox. The dropboxes are locked at 8 p.m., but if there’s a line at that time you’ll be able to drop your ballot in the box.

WHO CAN VOTE?

You need to be a registered member of a political party to vote in a primary election, whether it be Democratic, Republican, or third party. The deadline to switch parties has passed.

But there’s a caveat: Unaffiliated registered voters can cast ballots by walking into a polling station and ask for a ballot.

That, however, means you’re now a member of that party unless you later re-register as an unaffiliated voter or a member of another political party.

Check here to see if you’re registered.

WHO’S ON THE BALLOT?

PRESIDENT: This primary tops the ballot, though it’s pretty much a formality. Both Biden, the Democratic incumbent, and Trump, the Republican ex-president, are poised for a match of their 2020 race.

U.S. SENATE: This one is the biggest election in New Jersey, for the U.S. Senate seat held by Menendez, the Democrat on trial for federal bribery charges.

Three Democrats are running: U.S. Rep. Andy Kim is considered the favorite against Patricia Campos-Medina, a longtime labor leader who is vying to become the state’s first-ever female member of the Senate, and Lawrence Hamm, a longtime civil rights activist and former Newark school board member. The biggest drama in the primary actually happened a few months ago, when Kim was locked in a tense fight with First Lady Tammy Murphy, Gov. Phil Murphy’s wife, in a showdown that split the party. Murphy ultimately dropped out, while a Kim successfully sued to block the county-line ballot design.

Four Republicans are running: Hotelier Curtis Bashaw, Navy veteran Albert Harshaw, former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Murphy, and Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner. It has largely been a battle between Bashaw and Serrano Glassner — with Bashaw, considered the more moderate candidate, being bolstered by party support in most counties and Serrano Glassner getting an endorsem*nt from Trump.

Menendez, meanwhile, filed Monday to run as an independent for a fourth term after being abandoned by Democratic leaders. This comes even as his trial is ongoing.

U.S. HOUSE: All 12 of the state’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives — the lower house of Congress — are also up for grabs. Currently, Democrats hold nine of the seats. Incumbents in all but two districts are vying for another term.

Most House primaries are uncompetitive, but there are three key races to watch:

3rd District — This South Jersey contest is for the seat Andy Kim is giving up to run for Senate. The big fight is in the Democratic primary, where two district mates in the state Assembly — Herb Conaway and Carol Murphy — are in a race made closer by the disappearance of the county line.

8th District — Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez — the son of Robert Menendez — is running for a second term in this deep-blue North Jersey district. But with his father on trial, the younger Menendez is in a tough primary for his party’s nomination against Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

9th District — This North Jersey seat has belonged to Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell since 1997, but he is being challenged for his party’s nod by Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, New Jersey’s longest-serving Muslim mayor. It’s a race colored by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The district is home to Paterson, which has a large Palestinian community.

LOCAL: There are a number of local races, too. In one of the most notable, Jerry Speziale, the former Passaic County sheriff, and Thomas Adamo, a political newcomer, are battling in the Democratic primary for the Passaic County sheriff’s post in a special election prompted by the death of Sheriff Richard Berdnik in January.

• MORE: All you need to know about N.J. primary Tuesday, including fight to replace indicted U.S. Senator

WHAT IS MY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT?

The battles for the presidency and Senate are statewide races decided by all voters. But for the House races, voters get to choose only the nominees in the district where they live. Click here to see your district.

WHERE IS MY POLLING PLACE?

Your polling place is assigned based on your address. Click here and plug in your address to find where you vote.

HOW CAN I VOTE?

You can either vote in person on traditional machines or drop off a mail ballot at your county’s Board of Elections office or one of the hundreds of drop boxes across the state by 8 p.m.

But it’s important to remember that mail-in-ballots need to be put in boxes located within the county where you’re registered to vote. If you drop yours off in a box outside of where you’re registered — maybe because you see a dropbox on your commute to work — your vote will most likely not be counted, election officials have warned.

Here’s a complete list of drop box locations. If you have questions, check your county website.

After returning a ballot, you can check on its status at the state’s Track My Ballot website.

WHAT IF THERE’S A PROBLEM AT THE POLLS?

The New Jersey Secretary of State serves as the state’s chief election official. If you have concerns about voting and elections, call the state Division of Elections’ voting information and assistance line at 877-NJVOTER (877-658-6837).

Separately, the state Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability investigates public corruption and election crimes. To report a potential crime, call 844-OPIA-TIPS. The Attorney General’s office has an anti-corruption reward program that will offer a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption. For more details, see http://nj.gov/oag/corruption/reward.html.

WHERE CAN I FIND RESULTS?

There will be full results and coverage of key races on NJ.com after the polls close.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Jelani Gibson contributed to this report.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @johnsb01.