Colleen O’Dea | November 22, 2019 | NJ Spotlight |
More than 230,000 New Jerseyans voted before Halloween this year using mail-in ballots that continue to gain popularity across the state — a trend that could change future campaign strategies.
In total, the more than 278,000 people who used mail-in ballots this year was about 1½ times greater than in 2015, the last time the Assembly topped the ticket and all previous elections except for the 2012 presidential race. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy forced many to use paper ballots because they had to leave their homes due to widespread flooding and power outages.
While the state Division of Elections has yet to publish turnout figures from the Nov. 5 election, the percentage of votes cast using mail-in ballots is likely to exceed last year’s 12.3%, which was a record high.
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