Bergen County voters cast 75,490 early ballots

Bergen County residents have already cast 75,490 votes for the upcoming general election, according to figures released by the Bergen County Board of Elections.

The tally includes ballots returned by mail and votes cast in person at early voting sites. The data reflects activity through 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Officials reported that 44,546 mail-in ballots had been received by that time. An additional 30,944 votes were recorded at the county's 10 designated early voting locations.

Richard Miller, chair of the Bergen County Board of Elections, said this turnout is slightly higher than during the previous midterm election. He projected the county will ultimately receive approximately 52,000 mail-in ballots in total.

Voters can continue to cast ballots in person at early voting sites through Sunday, Nov. 1. These locations operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Registered voters from any part of the county may use any of the available early voting sites.

Two early voting sites in the Pascack Valley area have processed thousands of ballots. The River Vale Community Center at 48 Greenhalgh Lane has recorded 3,511 early votes. The Tice Senior Center at 411 Chestnut Ridge Road in Woodcliff Lake has recorded 3,200 votes. These sites serve voters from across the entire county, not just the surrounding towns.

Other early voting locations have also seen substantial activity. Teaneck has recorded the highest number of early in-person votes among the remaining sites, with 5,249. Wyckoff and Paramus each recorded more than 3,600 votes. Fort Lee, Wood-Ridge, and Hackensack have each recorded between 2,100 and 3,400 votes. Garfield, Mahwah, and Mahwah's new site have recorded between 1,300 and 2,000 votes.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters casting ballots in person must go to their assigned polling places. Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters returning mail-in ballots by hand can use one of the county's 35 secure drop boxes before the 8 p.m. deadline.

Those returning ballots via the U.S. Postal Service must have them postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. The county must receive these mailed ballots no later than Nov. 9. The state advises voters mailing ballots close to the deadline to request a manual postmark at a post office counter. Mail-in ballots cannot be returned at early voting sites or regular polling places on Election Day.

As of Oct. 28, the eight towns in the Pascack Valley had 56,648 registered voters. Unaffiliated voters make up the largest group in the region, with 21,492 registrations. Republicans hold the second-largest share with 17,666 registrations, followed by Democrats with 17,086. A smaller number of voters are registered with minor parties, including 196 Libertarians and 76 Conservatives.

Registration numbers vary by town in the region. River Vale has the highest number of unaffiliated voters, with 3,314. Westwood has the most registered Democrats, totaling 2,848. Washington Township has the most registered Republicans, with 2,708. These figures provide a snapshot of voter alignment ahead of the Nov. 3 election.