NJ election 2021 live updates: Phil Murphy, Jack Ciattarelli trade leads in governor race

If you're unfamiliar with the major candidates and issues facing voters at the Jersey Shore, check out our last-minute voter's guide with links to all the big races in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

NJ election results 2021: See live results for governor, local towns, school races and more

Election Day this year featured a few new wrinkles, namely the debut of early voting. Registered voters were allowed to cast their ballots from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31 in-person at select polling places.

And unlike Election Day 2020, this year's election allows the option to vote by mail, but it's not mandatory.

More: What you need to know before casting your vote this year

All election results are preliminary and the final tally could change the outcome of the race in the coming weeks.

The results released by election officials are based on ballots received as of Election Day. Mail-in ballots still in transit and provisional ballots cast on Election Day won't be counted until next week, at the earliest.

Refresh or bookmark this page to have live election results at your fingertip.

Related: Key races to watch in New Jersey on Election Night

6:35 p.m. AP: Phil Murphy narrowly reelected governor

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy narrowly won reelection Wednesday, eking out a victory that spared Democrats the loss of a second gubernatorial seat.

He’s the state’s first Democratic governor to get a second straight term in 44 years, defeating Republican former Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli.

— NorthJersey.com

3:30 p.m. Murphy continues to hold lead with latest vote tally

Updated vote totals continue to put Murphy ahead of Ciattarelli by nearly 15,000 votes, according to the Associated Press, which put Murphy's vote total at 1,201,420 and Ciattarelli's total at 1,184,723 as of about 3 p.m. Wednesday.

NJ election results 2021: Governor, Senate, Assembly race results

- Joshua Chung

2:29 p.m. New Jersey Senate GOP call for Democrats to 'get back to basics'

New Jersey Republicans are on pace to pick up three seats in the state Senate, according to the Associated Press, highlighted by a potential upset in the 3rd Legislative District, where Senate President Steve Sweeney is currently four points behind virtual unknown Edward Durr, a truck driver.

Members of the Senate Republican caucus on Wednesday called on Democratic legislative leaders to "get back to basics and start addressing their constituents' important concerns.

"Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, and other places across the country sent a clear message that they are tired of having their concerns dismissed by Democrat leaders who think they know better," the caucus said.

— Mike Davis

1:52 p.m. Murphy retakes the lead

Updated vote totals put Murphy ahead of Ciattarelli by nearly 15,000 votes, according to the Associated Press, which put Murphy's vote total at 1,199,614 and Ciattarelli's total at 1,184,723.

Mollie Binotto, Murphy's campaign manager, on Wednesday morning tweeted confidence in internal numbers that showed "when all the votes are counted, we will win."

"Last night was a historic one for New Jersey Republicans, who picked up at least a half dozen Assembly seats, several Senate seats, along with county and local seats up and down the state," Ciattarelli campaign spokeswoman Stami Williams said in a statement. "Jack is proud to lead our ticket and our party's resurgence.

"Right now, our team is focused on making sure all the legal votes are counted and our citizens can have confidence in the system."

— NorthJersey.com staff

12:46 p.m. Ciattarelli grabs lead in topsy-turvy governor race

The race for New Jersey's highest office has swung again following an update from election officials in Hudson County shortly after noon on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

But the votes are so tight that the race is too early to call, leaving voters anxious in New Jersey and politicos on the edge of their seat nationwide.

As of 12:30 p.m., the Associated Press estimates that 88% of votes were counted, giving Ciattarelli a lead of 695 votes out of more than 2.37 million counted, or a margin of 0.02 percentage points.

— NorthJersey.com staff

12:15 a.m. Republicans win open seats on Ocean County Board of Commissioners

With all election districts in, Republicans Gary Quinn and Barbara “Bobbi” Jo Crea were elected to the Ocean County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night, according to unofficial results reported by the county clerk’s office.

Quinn received 137,439 votes and Crea received 133,746 votes.

Democrats Philip Nurfrio and Catherine Paura received 53,731 votes and 54,713 votes, respectively.

Libertarian candidates Dan Valentine and Robert Canfield received 2,310 votes and 2,063 votes, respectively.

Green Party candidate Barry Bendar received 1,336 votes, all according to the unofficial results.

— Dan Radel

11:39 p.m. Tinton Falls mayor re-elected

Mayor Vito Perillo has won a second term.

At 97 years old, Perillo is most likely the oldest mayor in the nation. Perillo earned 2,209 votes. Retired schoolteacher Ellen Goldberg earned the second most votes with 1,898. Michael Miles earned 1,131 votes. Incumbent Councilman Brock Siebert finished with 575 votes.

The results are unofficial from the Monmouth County Board of Elections.

— Dan Radel

11:28 p.m. Toms River GOP sweeps council race

TOMS RIVER — Republicans will hold all seven seats on Toms River's township council in January after GOP candidates swept all four ward seats in Tuesday's election.

The result marked a reversal of the 2017 ward council race, when anger about overdevelopment helped Democrats win three council seats in a town where Republicans have long controlled municipal government.

In 2017, one of those seats was won by Ward 2 Councilman Daniel Rodrick, who switched to the Republican Party in 2018 and won his second term as a member of the GOP, defeating Democrat Jeff Horn by margin of 6,069 to 2,665.

Democratic Councilman Terrance Turnbach was defeated by GOP candidate David Ciccozzi, who heads the township's planning board, in the race for a Ward 4 seat. Ciccozzi garnered 3.976 votes, to 2,905 for Turnbach, who was seeking his second term.

Republican Justin Lamb won his first term representing Ward 1, receiving 5,538 votes to 2,114 for Democrat Michele Williams. In Ward 3, Republican James Quinlisk defeated his Democratic opponent, Karin Sage by a 4,099 to 2,002 margin.

Toms River voters also rejected a ballot question that asked if the open space tax should be raised by 1 cent.

Incumbents Jennifer Howe and board President Joseph Nardini won re-election in the race for two seats representing Toms River on the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

Board Vice President Anna Polozzo was re-elected to her second term representing South Toms River.

— Jean Mikle

11:13 p.m. Incumbents re-elected in Lakewood

LAKEWOOD – The township committee’s election went as expected with incumbents Meir Lichtenstein, a Democrat, and Republican Menashe Miller, posting strong wins against Democratic challenger James “Jimmy” Esposito and Republican Hector Fuentes.

With all 43 precincts reporting, Miller leads with 14,253 votes, or 40%, while Lichtenstein is second with 30% of the vote, or 10,649.

Fuentes came in third in the race for two seats with 7,413 votes, or 21%, while Esposito placed last with 3,280 for 9% of the vote.

Both winners were endorsed by the Lakewood Vaad, an influential group of businessmen and rabbis that advocates for the Orthodox Jewish community in town.

— Joe Strupp

10:34 p.m. 'Restore Our Board' candidates hold lead in Marlboro BOE race

Marlboro board of education candidates Christina Russotto, Kathleen Amster and Aldo Patruno lead five other candidates by about 1,000 votes for three full-term seats.

With 20 of 28 districts reporting, Russotto leads with 3,140 votes, Amster with 2,948 votes and Patruno with 2,914 votes.

Russotto, Amster and Patruno ran together under a campaign called Restore Our Board.

Amster is an incumbent on the board of education. In the two-person, two-year board of education race, Jessica Piernik is eking out a 52-vote lead against Debra Venedam, a member of the Restore Our Board team. Piernik campaigned with the Kids First Joint Committee team.

Concerns over how to handle mask mandates, pandemic related learning loss and district budgets are among the top concerns for the candidates running for four open seats on the Marlboro Board of Education. Election results are preliminary.

— Olivia Liu

10:33 p.m. Marlboro Republicans hold narrow lead for town council seats

With 20 of 28 districts reporting, Republican challengers Antoinette DiNuzzo, Michael Milman and Juned Qazi are narrowly leading incumbents Jeff Cantor, Carol Mazzola and Scott Metzger by about 600 votes for three open seats on the town council.

The race remains tight with Republican Michael Milman leading with 4,663 votes followed by Republican Antoinette DiNuzzo with 4,631 votes, Republican Juned Qazi with 4,516 votes, Democrat Jeff Cantor with 4,001 votes, Scott Metzger with 3,918 votes and Carol Mazzola with 3,903 votes.

All five members of Marlboro’s town council are currently Democrats. Election results are preliminary.

— Olivia Liu

10:30 p.m. Aberdeen mayor, committee members re-elected

With all districts reporting, Aberdeen Democratic incumbents appear to have narrowly held onto the mayor and two committee posts.

Mayor Fred Tagliarini has 54% of the vote, 150 more than Republican challenger William Sullivan, according to results from the Monmouth County Clerk. If the results hold, Tagliarini will begin his fourth term as mayor.

Committee members Joseph Martucci and Margaret Montone each had about 26% of the vote, while Republicans Michael Vail and Michael MacDermott had 24%. Only 144 votes separated Montone and Vail.

— Mike Davis

10:24 p.m. Republicans could flip 11th Legislative District

A Republican upset in the 11th Legislative District may be taking shape with incumbent Sen. Vin Gopal and Assembly members Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling in a tight battle with their Republican challengers, Senate candidate Lori Annetta and Assembly hopefuls Kimberly Eulner and Marilyn Piperno.

With more than 90% of the vote in, fewer than 700 votes out of more than 21,000 cast separated Gopal and Annetta, while Eulner and Piperno were ahead of Democratic incumbents Downey and Houghtaling by at least 3,000 votes each.

The 11th Legislative District includes Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Neptune, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls and West Long Branch.

— Joe Strupp

10:14 p.m. Incumbent holds on in Toms River BOE race

Incumbent Anna Polozzo has defeated rival Mary Guarin to win re-election to a second term representing South Toms River on the Toms River Regional Board of Education. Polozzo, the board's vice president, received 311 votes to 228 for Guarin.

— Jean Mikle

10:10 p.m. Toms River Republicans set for sweep of council

TOMS RIVER -- With a majority of votes counted, Republicans are poised to sweep all four ward council seats in Toms River, giving them control of all seven council seats.

Ward 2 GOP Councilman Daniel Rodrick appears on the way to a clear victory over Democrat Jeff Horn; Republican Justin Lamb holds a commanding lead over Michele Williams in Ward 1, while GOP candidate James Quinlisk is leading Karin Sage in the Ward 3 race.

In Ward 4, Councilman Terrance Turnbach, a Democrat, is trailing Republican David Ciccozzi in his bid for re-election to a second term.

A referendum asking Toms River voters if the open space tax should be raised by 1 cent also appears headed for defeat, which would mark the second time in three years that township voters have rejected raising taxes to pay for open space acquisition.

— Jean Mikle

10:08 p.m. Eatontown Republicans sweet council seats

With all nine districts reporting, it appears the GOP candidates have swept the two seats up for grabs on the Borough Council. The terms are three years.

The results are unofficial from the Monmouth County Board of Elections.

David Gindi and Everett D. Lucas have earned 1,860 and 1,806 votes. Eatontown Reform Democrats Mariel S. Hufnagel and Coleen Burnett got 1,322 and 1,311 voted. Incumbent Jasmine Story and her running mate 457 and 364 votes.

— Dan Radel

10:17 p.m. Neptune Democrats re-elected to township committee

With all districts reported, Neptune Mayor Michael Brantley and Deputy Mayor Nicholas Williams appear to have won re-election to the township committee.

Brantley and Williams each have about 30% of the vote with 15 of 20 districts reporting. Their Republican challengers, Gary Moll and Kevin Sheehan, each have about 19%.

Democratic candidate Tassie York also has about 59% of the vote for a two-year unexpired term, compared to about 41% for Republican candidate Shannon Kelly.

All election results are preliminary. New Jersey law allows mail-in ballots to be received by the Board of Election up to six days after close of the polls, provided the ballot is post marked on Election Day.

— Mike Davis

10:07 p.m. Republicans hold big leads in Monmouth County races

With votes from 405 of 458 districts counted, the Monmouth County GOP candidates for county commissioner and surrogate had commanding leads.

Incumbent Commissioner Sue Kiley, of Hazlet, leads Democratic challenger Mike Beson, of Ocean, by a vote of 115,121 to 69,325, according to the preliminary results.

In the race to replace long-time County Surrogate Rosemarie Peters, Middletown resident Maureen Raisch is leading Ocean Township resident Leslie Posnock by a vote of 113,705 to 70,256, according to the preliminary results.

Peters, who served as surrogate for 15 years, decided to retire earlier this year.

— Susanne Cervenka

10:05 p.m. Close race in crowded Jackson BOE race

With all but three districts reporting, Tina Kas and Erica Osmond are close to earning three-year seats on the board, beating out nine other candidates.

The two women ran on a slate along with board member John Spalthoff and Allison Barocas, who is seeking a one-year unexpired term. If the results hold, they will be joined on the board by Giuseppe Palmeri.

Kas and Osmond each hold 17% and 16% of the vote, respectively, while Palmeri has about 14%.

But the race is close, with less than 500 votes separating Palmeri and Spalthoff. Two other incumbent board members, Gus Acevedo and Tzvi Herman, are also on pace to lose their seats.

In the race for a one-year unexpired term, Barocas holds a lead over BonnieSue Rosenwald with 65% of the vote.

Results are preliminary.

— Mike Davis

10:04 p.m. Freehold Regional referendum on pace for approval

After losing two ballot referendums aimed at funding school improvements in the past three years, the Freehold Regional High School District may have found a winning plan this year.

With more than 60% of precincts reporting, the district’s $14.46 million ballot measure is poised to pass with voters favoring the measure, 59% to 41%, so far.

The price tag for the paving and roof repair projects is well below the previous failed ballot measure amounts and will be paid in part by state grants if voters approve the plan.

The Freehold Regional High School District includes six high schools serving eight communities and more than 10,000 students.

— Joe Strupp

9:57 p.m. Former Long Branch superintendent wins BOE seat

With 17 of 17 districts in, embattled former District Superintendent Joseph M. Ferraina appears to have won a Board of Education seat. Three seats were up for election, and each term is three years. The results are unofficial from the Monmouth County Board of Elections.

Ferraina gained 2,261 votes, enough for third place.

Incumbent Violeta Peters earned the most votes with 2,483.

In second place is newcomer Maria Terresa Benosky with 2,295 votes.

Incumbent Caroline Bennet is in last place with 1,704 votes.

— Dan Radel

9:50 p.m. Incumbents ahead in Ocean Township BOE race

Three seats are up for grabs on the township’s Board of Education. The terms are three years. Incumbents Irene Gilman, and Denise Parlamas are ahead with 19 of 22 districts reporting. Gilman has 4,482 votes and Parlamas has 3,444.

In third is newcomer John McCarthy with 3,217 votes. Trailing is Steven Clayton with 2,930 votes and Helena Peppe with 2,618 votes.

The election is non-partisan.

9:48 p.m. Freehold Township BOE incumbent likely to retain

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - With about 80% of precincts reporting, incumbent Freehold Township Board of Education Member Mary Cozzolino looks likely to retain her seat with 22% of the vote among the field of eight candidates.

But the race for the remaining two seats is tight with incumbent Kerry Vendittoli and challengers Neil D. Garguilo and Jennifer Ruhl in a three-way battle for the final two spots.

Fewer than 140 votes out of more than 21,000 counted so far separate those remaining three challengers, each of whom have just above or below 13%.

Also running are Frank Brooks, James A. Gresavage, Renata Brand, and Renee D. Pepia. Board Member Kay Poklemba-Holtz is not running for re-election.

— Joe Strupp

9:45 p.m. Tinton Falls incumbents hold lead in close council race

The race for a pair of four-year council seats is close with nine of 15 districts reporting. Incumbent John A. Manginelli, and his running mate Lawrence A. Dobrin, are ahead in the vote with 1,463 and 1,238 votes respectively.

Mitchell Kulberg however, is close behind with 1,211 votes.

Fatima P. Urcioli and Julio C. Seda have received 995 and 851 votes so far. The borough’s elections are non-partisan.

— Dan Radel

9:44 p.m. Neptune Democrats on pace for re-election

With three-quarters of districts reporting, Neptune Mayor Michael Brantley and Deputy Mayor Nicholas Williams are on pace to win re-election to the township committee.

Brantley and Williams each have about 30% of the vote with 15 of 20 districts reporting. Their Republican challengers, Gary Moll and Kevin Sheehan, each have about 19%.

Democratic candidate Tassie York also has about 59% of the vote for a two-year unexpired term, compared to about 41% for Republican candidate Shannon Kelly.

— Mike Davis

9:41 p.m. Long lines blamed for delay in Lakewood election results

LAKEWOOD - While most Ocean County communities have been releasing voting results in the past half hour, Lakewood – which boasts the largest population among shore municipalities – has yet to see results beyond initial mail-in and early voting tallies.

Mayor Ray Coles blamed this on long lines at the some polling places that had final votes cast as late as 8:23 p.m., after the 8 p.m. official voting deadline

“Nobody was turned away that was on line at 8 o’clock,” Coles said. “I heard the last one left town hall at 8:23 p.m.”

He said there were no major voting problems among the 43 precincts, although Lakewood’s population boost in the past 10 years, from 95,000 to 130,000 according to the latest U.S. Census, means voting rolls have expanded sharply.

“I think we had a decent turnout, it is just a matter of people voting in person for the first time in two years,” the mayor said.

Along with the governor’s race and state legislative seats, Lakewood residents also cast ballots for Township Committee and Board of Education.

— Joe Strupp

9:39 p.m. Crea on pace for election to Ocean County commissioner board

TOMS RIVER - Little Egg Harbor Township Committeewoman Barbara “Bobbi” Jo Crea was poised to become only the third woman to serve on Ocean County’s governing body in its 171-year history.

Crea, 73, and incumbent Gary Quinn, who is chairman of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and seeking a second, three-year term today, had a considerable lead over their opponents with about half of the county’s 413 election districts reporting.

Quinn, 65, of Lacey, was first elected to the board in 2018. Republicans have not lost a countywide race in Ocean since 1989.

As of 9:30 p.m., Quinn had received 96,984 votes and Crea had received 94,321 votes, according to unofficial results from the county clerk’s office.

Their closest challenger was Democrat Philip Nufrio, 69, of Seaside Park, who had received 42,515 votes.

— Erik Larsen

9:37 p.m. Democrats hold early leads in Red Bank council race

RED BANK — Democrats Kate Triggiano and Jacqueline Sturdivant took early leads in the race for borough council, and voters appeared ready to create a five-member commission that would study changing the structure of government.

If their leads hold, Triggiano will serve a second term and Sturdivant will serve her first. They faced a challenge from Suzanne Viscomi, an independent.

With four out of nine precincts in, Sturdivant had 807 votes, or 40%; Triggiano had 754 votes, or 37.4%; and Viscomi had 438 votes, or 21.7%.

Voters also were leaning toward taking the first step by creating a new commission to look at their options with 66% for and 44% against.

They are choosing a commission from 12 candidates. Nancy Facey-Blackwood, Mark Taylor, Kathryn Okeson, Benedict Forest and Aimee Humphreys had the early lead, but only by a slim margin.

— Michael L. Diamond

9:35 p.m. Tinton Falls mayor on pace for re-election

The big story here is 97-year old Mayor Vito Perillo is ahead in his bid for a second term. Perillo is most likely the oldest mayor in the nation.

With seven of 15 districts reported, Perillo has 1,148 votes. He is leading retired schoolteacher Ellen J. Goldberg, who has 965 votes.

Next is Michael S. Miles with 600 votes. Incumbent Councilman Brock Siebert has 313 votes.

— Dan Radel

9:32 Republican incumbents well ahead in 30th

In the state's 30th legislative district the three Republican incumbents — Sen. Robert Singer and Assemblymen Sean Kean and Ned Thomson — were well ahead of their Democratic challengers early Tuesday night.

Republicans took approximately two votes for each one to the Democrats in both Monmouth and Ocean counties, with 43 of 82 districts reporting in Monmouth and 14 of 59 in Ocean.

— Alex N. Gecan

9:31 p.m. Eatontown Republicans out in front in council race

In the race for a pair of three-year Borough Council seat, the GOP candidates David Gindi, 49, and Everett D. Lucas, 76 are out in front with four of nine districts accounted for. Gindi has 972 votes and Lucas has 940.

Eatontown Reform Democrats are Mariel S. Hufnagel, 35, and Coleen Burnett, 63. Hufnagel are trailing with 790 and 784 votes.

Independent incumbent Councilwoman Jasmine Story has 272 votes. Her running mate Dee Slattery has 219.

— Dan Radel

9:28 p.m. Republicans hold big leads in Middletown

In Middletown, the two Republican incumbents had hefty leads over their Democratic challengers with 18 of 46 districts reporting.

Mayor Tony Perry led Rocky Rios 8,551 to 4,903 as of 9:25 p.m., with Committeewoman Kimberly Kratz carrying 8,409 votes to Nicholas Babcock's 4,852.

— Alex N. Gecan

9:27 p.m. Lacey voters say 'no' to legal weed dispensaries

LACEY — Township voters narrowly rejected a non-binding ballot question on Tuesday that sought to gauge their support for adult-use cannabis businesses opening within Lacey Township.

The ballot initiative's purpose was to inform the five-member Committee and asked voters if marijuana cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, delivery services and other adult-use cannabis businesses should be allowed to open within the municipal boundaries.

Last year, a majority of township voters said they supported legalizing marijuana in the 2020 election.

But on Tuesday, residents voted to ban legal weed from opening in the township.

With 17 of 18 districts reporting, voters rejected the ballot question: 4,790 to 4,267. Results are preliminary.

— Amanda Oglesby

9:10 p.m. Monmouth County results trickling in...

Monmouth County published its first waves of election results, which includes both vote by mail ballots and ballots cast during early election days. The early voting accounted for just over 9% of all registered voters.

Monmouth County is also getting its first rounds of Election Day results. So far, 87,464 ballots have been counted, just under 18% of Monmouth County's electorate. Those results show Republican countywide candidates -- incumbent Commissioner Sue Kiley and GOP Surrogate candidate Maureen Raisch -- leading their Democratic challengers Mike Beson and Leslie Posnock, respectively.

— Susanne Cervenka

8 p.m. Polls are closed in New Jersey

Polls are officially closed in New Jersey. Under state law, voters who are already in line by 8 p.m. can still vote.

Stay with APP.com for the latest election results throughout the night!

7:48 p.m. Judge dismisses lawsuit to extend voting hours

Judge William Anklowitz dismissed a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and League of Women Voters that sought a 90-minute extension to voting hours.

Anklowitz ruled that the complaint was based mostly on hearsay and that the late hour — the lawsuit was filed after 5 p.m., the hearing began at 6:30 p.m. and Anklowitz didn't rule until after 7:30 p.m. — that extending voting hours "would cause such disarray as to call the integrity of the process into question."

Polls will close at 8 p.m., as scheduled.

— Mike Davis

6:52 p.m. Voter turnout high in Middletown

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry, who is running for reelection to the Township Committee, said he is optimistic and glad to see high voter turnout in the town.

"I'm glad to see all the people exercising their right to vote and voicing their opinions," Perry told the Asbury Park Press Tuesday evening before polls had closed. "I feel very good and I'm looking for a victory tonight after all the accomplishments we've been able to achieve."

More: In Middletown Township Committee race, GOP veterans face Dem neophytes for two seats

Perry is running against Democrat Rocky Rios for a full three-year committee term.

Newly appointed Committeewoman Kimberly Kratz is running to keep her seat for an unexpired two-year term. Her challenger, Democrat Nicholas Babcock, recently confirmed he had faced theft and forgery charges in Arizona years ago when he had lived there.

"For me personally, win or lose tonight, I'm still going to be working with the Middletown Democrats going forward," said Babcock.

Babcock said he and his family had voted early at Croydon Hall. "I'm proud that my daughter voted in this election," he said. "It was the first time she voted in a general election."

Rios also said he had voted early. With the Republicans' monopoly on the committee stretching over a decade, Rios said "we have our expectations set low, but maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised."

— Alex N. Gecan

6:41 p.m. Jackson police acknowledge sign issue at polling place

Jackson Police Capt. Steve Laskiewicz said there was a problem with signs for the polling location at the Lucy N. Holman Elementary School Tuesday morning.

Some signs were pointing to the Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority, next door to the school.

A patrol officer corrected the problem, he said.

Laskiewicz said dispatchers received no complaints.

— Ken Serrano

6:31 p.m. ACLU, League of Women Voters ask for extended voting hours

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and the League of Women Voters have filed a lawsuit against the state requesting voting hours be extended.

The two groups are asking a Superior Court judge in Mercer County to issue an order that would keep the polls open for an extra 90 minutes tonight, citing dozens of incidents at polling places across the state.

Numerous polling places statewide were marred this morning by malfunctions and breakdowns with new voting machines.

"Due to widespread technological issues reported throughout New Jersey, voters throughout New Jersey have been unable to cast their ballot at their local polling locations during these scheduled hours," the complaint states. "The late opening of numerous polling locations spread across the state and ongoing operational issues throughout the day has resulted in dozens of voters being turned away, asked to return later or leaving because of the long waits, resulting in their inability to cast a ballot.

"This necessitates the extension of voting hours such that voters, including plaintiffs’ members, who were unable to wait for operational voting machines during scheduled hours can vote after 8 p.m."

— Mike Davis

6:00 p.m. Huge returns for early voting, vote-by-mail

More than 11% of all registered New Jersey voters have already cast their ballots for the 2021 election.

New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way said Monday that 495,336 people voted early this year, the first time early in-person voting was offered in the state.

And as of Tuesday morning, 524,762 mail-in ballots had been returned to the state, according to the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University.

Nearly 60% of registered Democrats voted early or by mail, along with about 23% of Republicans and 19% of unaffiliated voters, according to the Rebovich Institute.

— Mike Davis

4:34 p.m. Should Red Bank go nonpartisan?

In Red Bank, voters were electing two council members and deciding whether the borough should create a five-member commission that would look at changing the structure of government.

As a borough, Red Bank has a partisan, six-person council and a separately elected mayor. The council members represent the town at large. Each serve 3-year terms, staggered so two are up for election each year.

The mayor, who serves 4 years, is head of the government but only votes to break ties.

A commission in 2018 found the government was dysfunctional, failing to meet the needs the town and recommended looking at a structural change.

Poll watchers at the Red Bank Library said turnout was about 20% by 3:30 p.m. and lines were steady.

Among them were Bridget and Peter Antonucci, who were divided on the issue of a commission.

"Overall I do think we should be a nonpartisan government," Bridget Antonucci, 48, said. "I just think it allows people to look at the actual candidates and their credentials as opposed to just voting party line."

Her husband, Peter, said he would rather see uniformity among all New Jersey governing bodies.

"I don't think it needs to be decided at the municipal level," Peter Antonucci, 51, said. "I think the state should come down and say, 'Hey listen from Cape May to the tip of New Jersey, all your local elections are nonpartisan or partisan."

— Michael Diamond

Voters react to Gov. Phil Murphy's handling COVID-19, other issues

Folks who hit the polls at First United Methodist Church in Toms River and Freehold Elks Lodge, said Gov. Phil Murphy's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was top of mind for more than a few Jersey Shore voters Tuesday.

"I voted because of what the governor had done to us, closing everything, not giving us the rights to do anything," said Raul Rebustillos, a 68-year-old Toms River resident.

"He (Murphy) was a driving force in the initial stages, and I think a lot of what he did in the beginning is starting to pay dividends," said Charles DeNise, a 44-year residents of Toms River. "New Jersey is at the forefront of controlling this pandemic, and I think he's the man."

NJ election: How Gov. Phil Murphy handled COVID drives many voters

The Democrat's re-election bid against Republican challenger Jack Ciatterelli is at least in part a referendum on state-imposed restrictions due to the pandemic.

Additionally, other local issues are motivating voters this year.

"Taxes," Toms River's Bernice Wuttke said. "The middleman like me, we've got nowhere to go if the taxes get any higher. I live in the same house that my father built in 1964. I love my state and I love the people that are in it. Hopefully we can change and do some good.

— Jerry Carino

Monmouth County voters complain of flipped questions on ballots

Monmouth County voters complained in municipalities with both state and local questions on the ballot that the order of the questions was flipped on voting machines from the order in which they appeared on sample ballots, said Allan Roth, a commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections.

The problem was brought to the attention of poll workers early in the day, and signs were posted to alert voters to the switch, Roth said.

The flipping occurred in municipalities with both state and local questions on the ballot, such as Marlboro and Holmdel, he said.

— Kathleen Hopkins

Power outages in Keansburg, but polls remain open for voting

KEANSBURG - The borough lost power this morning, but election officials stressed that did not prevent anyone from voting.

“There is a power outage in Keansburg,’’ said Allan Roth, a Monmouth County Board of Elections commissioner and the board’s secretary. “We are getting generators over there.’’

The voting machines have battery backups, and election officials are working with poll workers to ensure the machines continue to operate, Roth said.

“Nobody should be turned away from voting,’’ he said.

In the event of inoperable machines, people can vote by paper ballot, he said.

Earlier this morning, Jersey Central Power & Light Company’s website reported more than 1,500 customers were without power in Keansburg, but by 11 a.m. that number was reduced to between 10 and 20 customers without power at two locations, with an estimated restoration time of 1:30 p.m. The cause of the outage was under investigation, according to the website.

Monmouth County’s emergency election task force is aware of the power outage and has reached out to JCP&L, Roth said.

He reported that voter turnout throughout the county is brisk.

“The polls are hopping,’’ he said.

— Kathleen Hopkins

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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ election live updates: Governor's race, local results by county