NJ Midterm Elections: The Biggest Races, How To Cast Your Vote

NEW JERSEY — The Garden State's delegation in the House of Representatives has featured no more than two Republicans since 2019, buoyed by the "blue wave" that gave Democrats the House majority in the 2018 elections. Both could change in the midterms, with the potential for GOP gains in New Jersey and Republican control of Congress.

It's tough to tell how New Jersey will impact Tuesday's elections. It was only last year when Gov. Phil Murphy barely hung on for re-election, with a 51.2 percent to 48 percent victory against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

Since then, big money has poured into some of New Jersey's House races, and the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion care. Additionally, local school board races have gripped communities around the state. And while those elections only impact local governance, the fervor around certain issues — such as the state's sex and health education standards — could factor into voters' decision-making for the federal elections.

Here's what New Jersey voters should know about the midterms.

WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS?

At the national level, the makeup of the House and Senate. All 435 House seats and 35 of 100 Senate seats are up for votes.

New Jersey doesn't have a Senate election in this cycle, but the election could impact the party makeup of the Garden State's House delegation. The delegation currently includes 10 Democrats and two Republicans — as it has since Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2) joined the GOP in December 2019.

Under the current Congress, Democrats have 220 seats, while Republicans hold 212. In the Senate, Democrats and the two leaders who caucus with them hold 50 seats, carrying a slim majority with Vice President Kamala Harris's tie-breaking vote.

Much of New Jersey also has elections at the county, municipal and school board levels, which can significantly impact local landscapes.

New Jerseyans should also keep an eye on Pennsylvania's gubernatorial election between Josh Shapiro (D) and Doug Mastriano (R). A victory for Mastriano could pave the way for an abortion ban in the Keystone State, which may lead to greater demand for abortion care in New Jersey. Read more: Abortions Increased In NJ After Roe Fell, Could Surge In The Future

CASTING YOUR VOTE

Where's My Congressional District?

This is the first election in which the new Congressional district maps will go into effect. More than 1.4 million New Jerseyans live in a new district. Here's New Jersey's new electoral map.

When Will Polls Open?

From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. If you're in line by 8 p.m., you can vote.

Where Is My Polling Place?

Search your address to find where to vote in-person.

Can I Still Vote By Mail?

If you already received a vote-by-mail ballot and haven't sent it in, it's not too late. But if you never applied for one, it's too late to do so for this election cycle.

Your vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. Tuesday, and your county's board of elections must receive it on or before the sixth day after polls close.

You can also deliver the ballot by 8 p.m. Tuesday to your county's board of elections office or any of your county's drop boxes. Find locations here.

Once you cast a ballot, you can track its progress to ensure your vote was counted.

Is Early, In-Person Voting Still Available?

No. Sunday was New Jersey's last day for early, in-person voting.

MAJOR RACES

Here are the elections getting the most attention throughout New Jersey.

7th Congressional District

Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) has a tough battle for re-election as he faces Republican challenger Thomas H. Kean Jr. Kean — in the State Legislature from 2001 through last January — has a 72 percent chance of flipping the district red, according to FiveThirtyEight.

The redrawn district includes more Republican-leaning towns. Malinowski was first elected to the seat in 2018. He and Kean participated in debates moderated by New Jersey Globe and the Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce. Click the links to watch both.

3rd Congressional District

Last week, the Cook Political Report downgraded the district from a "likely Democrat" ranking to "leaning Democrat." So while the nonpartisan election-tracking site still sees Rep. Andy Kim as the favorite, Republican challenger Bob Healey Jr. has picked up momentum.

Millions of dollars have poured into the race, with Kim raising $6.4 million and Healey generating $4 million for their campaigns as of Oct. 19. Kim has only received $172,562 in outside money, while Healey has received $1.9 million — all of it from Garden State Advance, a super PAC largely funded by a $2 million donation from Healey's mother.

11th Congressional District

Like Kim and Malinowski, Sherrill flipped her district's seat blue in the 2018 midterms. Sherrill had better luck in New Jersey's remapping, with the 11th District more favorable for Democrats.

FiveThirtyEight gives Sherrill (D) a 97 percent chance of victory. But Democrats aren't playing it safe against Republican challenger Paul DeGroot, a former Passaic County prosecutor.

Sherrill's campaign has raised $5.9 million to DeGroot's $660,000 as of Oct. 19. Several outside groups have made significant donations to buoy Sherrill, including VoteVets.org ($2.3 million), the House Majority PAC ($2 million) and the Shield PAC ($458,000).