Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Thursday:

As the race for New Jersey's next governor moves into the final stretch before election day, 400,000 voters have already cast a ballot.

Even though Republicans requested fewer mail-in ballots than Democrats, GOP voters have been returning thier ballots at a faster rate.

However, nearly two-thirds of all the ballots returned are from registered Democrats.

What can we glean from the data?

Not much.

Although we know how many ballots have been returned, we don't know who they are for.

Under New Jersey's election laws, county boards of elections can begin opening ballots five days before Election Day and preparing them to be scanned.

No results can be generated or released until after 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, when all polls close.

Keep scrolling to see where the most mail-in ballots have been received from in New Jersey and to get up to date on all of today's top stories.

⬛ Rumors, rage, misinformation in fatal Jersey City shootout

🚨Police-involved shooting in Jersey City leaves one man dead
🚨Jersey City police push back against misinformation about the incident
🚨Officers fired at a man breaking into an abandoned house in East Windsor

JERSEY CITY — A top police official is pushing back at rumors about what happened during a police-involved shooting early Tuesday, and said the officers involved are receiving threats.

One person was killed early Tuesday in Jersey City after an officer and a man exchanged gunfire in the area of Bergen and Virginia avenues shortly after 1 a.m., according to New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. The Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is investigating the incident per state law.

Mayor Steven Fulop, on his X account, said officers noticed a person with a bulge in his clothing acting suspiciously. Fulop said the man shot at an officer, who then returned fire. The man was taken to a hospital where he later died.

Darshell Robinson, the grandmother of the victim she identified as Teshawn Rogers, disputes Fulop's account of the shooting. She told News 12 that her grandson was shot in the back. Robinson said the bulge could have been something other than a weapon.

CLICK HERE to read what Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea told New Jersey 101.5 about the shooting.

⬛ High-speed electric scooters face new ban in this NJ town

🔴 Edison officials move to ban high-speed e-scooters after several serious accidents.
🔴 Police say modified scooters are hitting speeds up to 45 mph on local roads.
🔴 Parents could face fines up to $1,000 and scooter impoundment.

EDISON — Another New Jersey town is cracking down on dangerous, high-speed electric scooters that are getting people hurt.

In Edison, the council wants to ban high-speed scooters outright. That includes on highways and slower residential roads.

There have been several incidents involving e-scooters recently, Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan said at a public meeting on Monday.

He said a juvenile girl was seriously hurt on Talmadge Road, and another incident took place last week on Plainfield Avenue.

The new ordinance would also punish parents and juveniles who violate New Jersey's existing laws on electric scooters.

⬛ Bergen County coyote attack leaves two injured

🚨An aggressive coyote attacked two people in Bergen County
🚨One victim suffered multiple bite wounds, while another was bitten and knocked down
🚨Authorities warn residents to stay alert as NJ’s coyote population continues to grow

SADDLE RIVER — An aggressive coyote that attacked two people in Bergen County has been located and euthanized.

Woodcliff Lake police said a resident suffered several bite wounds after being attacked by a coyote in the backyard of a home on Woodcrest Drive on Monday. The woman was bit in the shoulder, arm, back, and leg, according to ABC 7 Eyewitness News. A Golden Retriever was also bit.

The coyote ran off before officials could capture it.

On Tuesday, a Saddle River resident was knocked to the ground by a coyote while working in their yard and bitten multiple times. The victim was taken to Valley Hospital for treatment. Officers said the coyote was "visibly sick," with no fear of humans.

The animal was shot by police. It was taken by animal control for testing.

⬛ New Jersey is fed up with drivers ignoring stopped school buses

🔴 Cameras on 10 Woodbridge school buses caught nearly 3,000 illegal passings.
🔴 Parents and officials say it endangers children as they board and exit buses.
🔴 Lawmakers push for statewide camera laws before Gov. Murphy leaves office.

WOODBRIDGE — School buses in just one New Jersey district were passed illegally nearly 3,000 times last school year, and local officials are demanding a change to punish these dangerous drivers.

A pilot program in Woodbridge put cameras on 10 school buses from Sept. 4, 2024, through June 18, 2025. It was done in partnership with BusPatrol, a company that manufactures stop arm cameras for school buses.

Passing a stopped school bus is dangerous and illegal in every state. In New Jersey, stop arm violations can result in hefty fines and potential jail time of up to 15 days.

Despite the potential penalties, cameras recorded 2,840 vehicles that passed the buses while they were dropping off or picking up students from school.

The buses had their stop signs extended and their red lights flashing.

⬛ Nearly 7% of voters have already cast a ballot in the Nov. 4 election

🗳️ More than 400,000 NJ voters have already mailed in ballots
📈 Turnout stands at 6.6%—slightly ahead of 2021’s pace
📮 Early in-person voting starts Oct. 25 across all counties

With less than two weeks before Election Day, more than 400,000 New Jersey voters have already made their voices heard through mail-in ballots — signaling a brisk early turnout in the 2025 race for governor.

According to a new analysis by VoteHub, 404,335 mail-in ballots have been returned statewide, representing 6.6% of the state’s active electorate. That figure edges ahead of the pace seen at the same point in the 2021 gubernatorial contest and far surpasses early returns from the 2023 legislative races.

Democrats continue to hold a commanding lead in total ballots cast, returning 254,088 ballots—about 62.8% of all those submitted. Republicans have sent back 88,396 ballots (21.9%), while 61,851 (15.3%) came from unaffiliated or third-party voters.

Out of the 927,134 ballots mailed statewide, Democrats received 57.1%, Republicans 19.7%, and independents or third-party voters 23.2%.

Despite being outnumbered, Republicans are returning their ballots at a slightly higher rate than Democrats—48.5% to 48.0%—suggesting stronger enthusiasm among GOP voters in the early stages.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

The New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show airs from 6 - 10 a.m. on New Jersey 101.5.

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You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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