Democrats Lead Early Voting in Two NJ Districts by 14,000 to 27,000

Democrats hold a substantial lead in early voting in two New Jersey congressional districts as the 2026 midterm election approaches. The data reveals a divergence in turnout that could influence the final outcome in races currently held by Republicans.

State voter databases show that nearly 1 million of the state’s 6.7 million registered voters have cast ballots early. This includes votes cast in person and by mail through Thursday. Registered Democrats account for approximately 60% of these early votes. This share is high considering that Democrats make up about 38% of all registered voters in the state.

The disparity is most visible in the 7th District. Democrat Rebecca Bennett is challenging incumbent Republican Tom Kean Jr. in this bellwether race. The district has about 16,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. Despite this registration gap, Bennett has a 27,000 vote lead among early voters. A poll by StimSight Research and race rating websites currently favor Bennett in this contest.

A similar pattern appears in the 2nd District in South Jersey. Democrat Zack Mullock is running against Jeff Van Drew. Van Drew won his seat in 2018 as a Democrat before switching parties. The district contains about 24,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. Mullock trails in registration but leads in early voting by about 14,000 votes. He remains the longshot according to current metrics, but the early turnout gap is notable.

Ben Dworkin, founding director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship at Rowan University in Glassboro, noted that partisan alignment is strong. He said that in the current political climate, voters who cast ballots early largely stick to their party’s candidates. Dworkin stated that this gives Democratic campaigns a strategic advantage in deploying limited resources.

Dworkin explained that the Republican side must work harder to motivate its base on Election Day. He compared the situation to a dam, noting that Republicans have a national money advantage but spent it late. He said it is unclear if that spending will hold back the Democratic turnout or if the wave will overwhelm the defense.

Early voting continues through Sunday. Polling sites are open in every county from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Voters with mail-in ballots can submit them by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Ballots must be postmarked by November 3 and received by county officials by November 9. Voters can also get a mail-in ballot by visiting a county clerk’s office by 3 p.m. on Monday, November 2.

Neighborhood polling locations will be open statewide from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day Tuesday.