It is that time of the year again—election season! On November 4th, 2025, New Jersey will be electing a new governor to replace the incumbent, Phil Murphy, whose second term is ending in January. Murphy has served in this role for the last eight years and, due to term limits, is not allowed to run again. This election marks the beginning of a new era in New Jersey politics. Here’s the information you need to know to stay up to date on the election and, if you are eligible to vote, how to make sure you are prepared to cast your ballot.
THE CANDIDATES:
Following the gubernatorial primary race in June, Mikie Sherrill emerged as the frontrunner of the Democratic Party, and Jack Ciattarelli as the candidate for the Republican Party. While the race is still up in the air, over a dozen recent surveys from pollsters like Quinnipiac University and Beacon Research show Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by between 2-10 percentage points. The poll conducted by Emerson College points towards a more competitive race, with an even split in support between the two candidates.
Before winning her current seat as a congresswoman in the House of Representatives in 2018, Sherrill served as a Navy helicopter pilot for over a decade and worked as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey. She has stated she aims to make New Jersey more affordable by “fighting for tax relief, lowering healthcare and energy costs, and cracking down on price gouging.” She wants to make home ownership more accessible and create new housing options by repurposing old infrastructure. She also vows to protect women’s reproductive freedom by making abortion a constitutional right in New Jersey.
Ciattarelli was a member of the State Assembly from 2011 to 2018, and before that a business owner, an accountant, and a member of the Raritan Borough Council. As governor, he plans to “cut and cap property taxes” so more people can afford to buy homes, and to reform the government by “enacting eight-year term limits for all state legislators.” He also plans to withdraw New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and invest in more clean natural gas and other energy sources to lower utility costs.
HOW TO VOTE:
There are only a few weeks until election day, so if you are already 18 or will be before November 4th and haven’t registered to vote yet, now is the time. It takes less than five minutes to register—so instead of scrolling endlessly on TikTok, spend a few minutes making sure your voice will be counted in the next election. The deadline to register is October 14th. If you miss it, you will not be able to vote in this election.
Register to vote here: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/register
There are many options in terms of actually casting your ballot: vote-by-mail, early in-person voting, and in-person voting on Election Day. If you would like to vote by mail, you must apply for an absentee ballot on the nj.gov website. If it is not convenient for you to vote in person on November 4th, you can vote early at your polling location between October 25th and November 2nd. On Election Day, all polling places will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Key Dates:
- Voter registration deadline: October 14th
- Early Voting: October 25th – November 2nd
- Election Day: November 4th, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Vote-By-Mail Application: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote-by-mail.shtml#applications
Search your polling location here: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search
For those who cannot vote yet, this information is still valuable. It is never too early to start paying attention to what is going on in the world. Before you know it, you’ll be old enough to vote, and staying informed in politics now will help you make a confident, educated decision when the time comes.
