Early Voting Begins Oct. 23

COURT HOUSE – Those wanting to vote in the Nov. 2 general election have more options than ever this year, with three ways to cast their ballot.
They can either vote by mail, take advantage of in-person early voting at one of three sites, or vote the traditional way at their polling place on Election Day.
“Any voter who received a mail-in ballot should vote that ballot and return it as soon as possible before the close of the polls on Election Day,” stated Cape May County Clerk Rita Rothberg, via email.
Completed mail-in ballots can be returned to the Cape May County Board of Elections, 10 Mechanic St., Court House, via postage-paid mail, dropbox or in person, according to the clerk’s election website.
Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. Nov. 2 and received by the Board of Elections on or before Nov. 8.
Ballots placed in one of the county’s 12 secure dropboxes must be there by 8 p.m. Nov. 2.A list of locations, which was updated Sept. 28, 2021, is available on the state’s website, at https://bit.ly/3ADrG2X.
Voters who want to return their mail-in ballots in person to the Board of Elections Office must do so by 8 p.m. Nov. 2.
In-person early voting will take place Oct. 23-31, at any of these three sites:
Court House Library – 30 Mechanic St., Court House
Lower Township Library – 2600 Bayshore Rd., Villas
Voters can cast their ballots on a voting machine between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday.
Voters are reminded to bring their sample ballots with them, as it will “greatly speed up the check-in process,” according to the clerk’s election website.
Sample ballots will be in voters’ mailboxes on or before Oct. 22, Rothberg stated.
“If election mail is delivered to an address for a voter no longer there, we ask that the mail piece be marked on the outside ‘refused, no longer at this address,’” she added.
Want to vote the traditional way on Election Day? Voters can do that, too.
Polls will remain open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 2. The voter’s polling place will be listed on their sample ballot, per Rothberg.
In addition to the below races, there are also school board elections included on the ballot.
Also, two state questions for constitutional amendments are on the ballot. One would permit wagering through casinos and current or former horse racetracks on all college sport or athletic events; the other would allow certain organizations that conduct games of chance to use the proceeds from those games to support the organization.
Governor
Five candidates seek the gubernatorial seat for four years. They are incumbent Democrat Philip Murphy, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, Socialist Workers Party Joanne Kuniansky, Green Party Madelyn R. Hoffman, and Libertarian Party Gregg Mele
State Senate
Seeking the First Legislative District Senate seat for two years are incumbent Republican Michael Testa and Democrat Yolanda E. Garcia Balicki.
General Assembly 
There are six candidates vying for two, two-year terms in the state General Assembly, including Democrats John P. Capizola Jr. and Julia L. Hankerson, incumbent Republicans Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan, and Libertarian Party Michael Gallo and Jacob Selwood.
County Races
County Commissioner, vote for one, three-year term
Republican, Leonard C. Desiderio
Municipal Races
Cape May 
Council member, vote for one, one-year unexpired term
Nonpartisan, Lorraine M. Baldwin
Dennis Township 
Committee member, vote for one, three-year term
Republican, Frank L. Germanio Jr.
Middle Township 
Committee member, vote for one, three-year term
Democrat, QuanetteVasser-McNeal
Republican, Theron (Ike) Gandy
North Wildwood
Mayor, vote for one, four-year term
Republican, Patrick Rosenello
Council-at-large member, vote for one, two-year term
Republican, Salvatore Zampirri
1st Ward Council member, vote for one, three-year term
Democrat, Maria G. Mattera
Republican, James Kane
2nd Ward Council member, vote for one, three-year term
Republican, Joseph V. Rullo
Ocean City
1st Ward Council member, vote for one, 2.5-year unexpired term
Nonpartisan, Donna Moore, Terrence Crowley Jr., Donna Swan DeRocher
Stone Harbor
Council member, vote for two, three-year terms
Republican, Bernadette (Bunny) Parzych, Frank Dallahan
Upper Township
Committee member, vote for two, three-year terms
Democrat, Christina (Cricket) Denton, Lenora BoninfanteKodytek
Republican, John C. (Jay) Newman, Kimberly R. Hayes
Independent, Anthony Inserra, Andrew Shawl
Committee member, vote for one, one-year unexpired term
Republican, Mark E. Pancoast
Democrat, Shawna Mulford
Independent, John J. Griffin Jr.
West Cape May
Borough Commissioner, vote for three, four-year terms
Nonpartisan, John H. Francis III, Carol E. Sabo, Peter C. Burke, Daniel Kurkowski
Wildwood Crest
Borough Commissioner,vote for three, four-year terms
Nonpartisan, Joyce P. Gould, Joseph M. Schiff, Darleen Devlin, David Thompson, Joseph Franco Jr., Don Cabrera
Woodbine
Council member, vote for two, three-year terms
Republican, Michael E. Benson, Joseph E. Johnson III
Upper Township Library – 2050 Route 631, Petersburg