By The Signal Editorial Board
With the upcoming gubernatorial election on Nov. 4, it is crucial to recognize the importance of voting, no matter how big or small the poll.
The New Jersey gubernatorial election determines the 57th governor for the next four years. This year, the Republican candidate is Jack Ciattarelli and the Democratic candidate is Mikie Sherrill. The winner will be sworn in as the next governor on Jan. 20, 2026, succeeding Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited.
Ciattarelli previously served on the Raritan Borough Council and the Somerset County Board of Commissioners, then represented the 16th District in the Assembly for seven years, as well as running for governor in both 2017 and 2021, but ultimately losing the race.
Sherrill has represented the 11th Congressional District since 2018, as well as previously serving as a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Navy and a federal prosecutor.
Various key issues are at the center of the New Jersey gubernatorial race, including cost of living, education funding, taxes, transportation, drug policy, immigration policies and the role of national politics.
It is critical to understand where each candidate stands on these issues to vote with well-rounded knowledge.
The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 14, 21 days before the election. To register, you will need either a current and valid Driver’s License or non-driver Identification Card issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission or a social security number.
There are two ways to register, either online or on paper. To register online, you can fill out the virtual Voter Registration Application Form. If using your social security number, you must be able to provide a digital signature to validate your identity.
If you are not registering to vote online, you can fill out the physical Voter Registration Application Form, which can then be mailed or delivered to the County Commissioner of Registration or Superintendent of Elections for your county. There is a separate form for each county. On this ballot, you can request Mail-In Ballots for future elections.
You can check the status of your registration on the New Jersey Voter Information Portal.
There are three ways to vote in the gubernatorial election in New Jersey. The first is by mail.
If you requested to vote by mail when registering, you will receive a Mail-In Ballot. There are three options when voting by mail. You can bring it to the post office, where it must be postmarked on or before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day and be received by your county’s Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after the polls have closed to be counted. You may also bring your ballot to a secure ballot drop box by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. You can find where these drop boxes are located on the New Jersey Voter Information Portal. Lastly, you can bring your ballot to your county’s Board of Elections Office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Another option is to take part in in-person early voting. This period, which was introduced in the 2021 general election, will be open from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2. This gives voters the option to vote in person in their counties at their convenience at select polling locations. These locations will be open from at least 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, and they can be found on the New Jersey Voter Information Portal. No appointment is required.
The third option is to vote in person at your local polling place on Election Day from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The polling locations can be found in the New Jersey Voter Information Portal.
Beyond the obvious platitudes of exercising your right as a citizen, voting is also important from a very basic political perspective. While it’s easy to feel like the presidential election is the only one that matters, other elections such as this one actually carry a non-insignificant amount of weight, and can create change that directly impacts those of us who live in New Jersey.
Instead of lamenting about our lack of agency within this current political climate, we can focus on the change we can make through local elections like this. It’s hardly a hassle to vote, and it’s better to say you voted than to feel regret if the upcoming representatives elected aren’t aligned on the same issues as you.
This is our chance as a citizen to feel represented in the government, arguably more so than the more national elections. This is about New Jersey, and New Jersey alone.
Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli are both candidates whose policies will directly impact college students. Whether or not their policies are overtly about colleges, their stances on social issues and state taxes in general will impact local life in Jersey on a grand scale. It’s important to tune in and be educated about how these candidates are going to impact your life, even if it’s not through the college directly.
