Democrats swamp Republicans in first early voting—NJ Top News
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🔗 Democrats swamp Republicans in first day of New Jersey early voting
🗳️ Democrats dominate: Nearly 48,000 registered Democrats voted on opening day, compared with fewer than 21,000 Republicans.
📊 More than 2-to-1: Democrats accounted for 57% of Saturday's in-person early votes, while Republicans made up just 25%.
🔥 Key congressional battlegrounds: Democratic voters also outnumbered Republicans in New Jersey's closely watched 2nd and 7th districts.
Democrats came out in force as early voting kicked off in New Jersey, casting more than twice as many ballots as Republicans on opening day. According to figures reported by the New Jersey Globe, nearly 84,100 voters showed up at early voting locations Saturday, October 24. Of those, 47,984 were registered Democrats, compared with 20,989 registered Republicans. That translates to 57% Democratic turnout versus just 25% Republican turnout, with unaffiliated and other voters accounting for the remainder.
The Democratic advantage extended into two of New Jersey's most closely watched congressional races. In the 7th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett, while Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew is being challenged by Democrat Zach Mullock in the 2nd District. Registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans among first-day early voters in both districts, providing an early snapshot of voter participation in races drawing considerable political attention.
But there's an important caveat: Voter registration is not the same as a vote for a particular candidate. Registered Democrats can vote Republican, registered Republicans can vote Democratic, and unaffiliated voters could play a significant role in the final results. The opening-day numbers also don't account for everyone who will vote by mail or show up later in the election. Still, the early turnout figures demonstrate a substantial Democratic participation advantage as New Jersey heads toward Election Day on Tuesday, November 3.
🔗 Man cleared in girlfriend's burning case; she now faces charges
🚨Prosecutors dropped charges against a man accused of trying to kill his girlfriend
🚨Investigators determined the woman gave police false information about her injuries
🚨The woman now faces two counts of falsely incriminating another person
Charges have been dropped against a man accused of setting his girlfriend on fire after investigators determined she gave police false information about how she was injured and who was responsible.
Police responded on Oct. 15 around 1:35 p.m. to a report of a woman suffering from burns and smoke inhalation near Hawkin Road and Success Road in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Plumsted, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.
Chelsea Villano, 33, of Eatontown, told investigators that her boyfriend, Justin Martin, 36, of Saddle River, and another person had tried to kill her. Martin was taken into custody in Asbury Park.
Villano was taken to the Temple University Burn Center in Philadelphia, where she was treated and later released.
The investigation determined that Villano gave police false information about how she was injured and who was responsible.
Charges against Martin were dropped. Villano was charged with two counts of falsely incriminating another person and taken into custody by Eatontown police. She is being held at the Ocean County Jail.
🔗 New Jersey lawmakers propose ban on chewing gum
Chewing gum could eventually disappear from some New Jersey store shelves under a proposed law targeting microplastics. Democratic Assemblywomen Shama Haider and Margie Donlon have introduced legislation that would restrict products containing intentionally added microplastics or capable of releasing certain plastic particles. And it's not just gum. Tea bags, coffee grounds, cosmetics, cleaning products and even pet food are among the products covered. The bill would require warning labels before imposing sales restrictions three years after enactment.
So why target chewing gum? Researchers have found that chewing releases tiny plastic particles into saliva, potentially exposing people to thousands of particles per piece. But here's the important distinction: Scientists have documented exposure, not established that chewing gum causes harm to human health. The FDA says current evidence does not demonstrate that microplastic levels detected in food pose a human health risk.
The proposed Protecting Against Microplastics Act would also allocate $3 million for research and enforcement. It's important to note this would not ban all chewing gum, only products meeting the legislation's microplastics criteria. For now, the measure remains a proposal, and chewing gum is still legal to sell in New Jersey.
🔗 Monmouth County gives NY Waterway 30 days to fix ferry service
🔴Monmouth County is giving NY Waterway 30 days to prove it can meet its contract
🔴The company has already made schedule changes to address timeliness concerns
🔴Commissioners are threatening to terminate the contract if improvements fall short
Monmouth County commissioners are giving NY Waterway 30 days to prove it can deliver reliable ferry service — or risk losing its contract.
The ferry company met with commissioners Thursday and agreed to a 30-day period starting Sunday, Nov. 1, to “demonstrate substantial and sustained improvements” and meet its contractual obligations. If the company falls short, commissioners will take steps to terminate the contract.
“We have been assured by NY Waterway that all of the concerns will be addressed in a consistent manner moving forward. While we are hopeful that NY Waterway will fulfill its contractual obligations, we will continue to hold them accountable,” Commissioner Director Tom Arnone said.
NY Waterway has already begun addressing timeliness concerns, with several schedule changes in the works.
Click the link to learn about the new schedule.
🔗 After Skillman family killings, 'friends of Sloane' plan tribute
⚠️ Friends of Sloane Grodnick are raising money to dedicate a memorial tree at Grounds for Sculpture.
➡️ The 24-year-old art graduate was found shot to death alongside her mother in their Skillman home.
🔴 Three weeks after the deaths, few details have been released about the family.
MONTGOMERY — Friends of a young woman from Somerset County, shot and killed alongside her mother in their family’s lavish home, hope to honor her memory in an artistic refuge she would have loved.
Three weeks ago, 24-year-old Sloane Grodnick was found dead, in one of the bedrooms inside their Wild Azalea Lane home in the Skillman section of town.
In another bedroom, 62-year-old Lora “Lori” Grodnick was also shot and killed, both at the hands of David Grodnick.
The 61-year-old commercial real estate and insurance executive had killed his wife and daughter before taking his own life, as confirmed by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
Three weeks after the stunning discovery of the double-homicide and suicide — very little has been made public about the family.
A GoFundMe created by friends of Sloane Grodnick aims to dedicate a tree in her memory, inside Grounds for Sculpture in Mercer County’s Hamilton Township.
Sloane Grodnick graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design and was close to earning her master’s degree from Rhode Island Design Institute, according to the friends who set up the online fundraiser.
How New Jersey decorated their homes for Halloween 2026
Gallery Credit: Kylie Moore
Significant or historical events in New Jersey for November (in chronological order)
Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
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