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

Over 825,000 votes have already been cast in the race for governor in New Jersey.

That put's turnout at 13.5% even before Election Day.

Democrats are going into the general election with a cushion of at least 213,000 votes, based on party affiliation of the ballots returned by mail and voters who have cast their ballots early.

Already there are concerns about the integrity of early voting activity.

😲 Ballots were stolen in Middlesex and Union Counties.

The Republican National Committee is suing in Burlington County for surveillance video of ballot drop boxes and chain-of-custody records of the ballots themselves. However, this lawsuit is connected to past June's primary election.

In 2024, Burlington County experienced multiple voting irregularities on election day including long lines at multiple polling locations that frustrated voters and sent many of them home without casting a ballot.

Keep scrolling for more details about the stolen ballots in this election as well as the rest of today's top stories.

⬛ ‘Intimidator’ woodchipper death sparks lawsuit after NJ horror

🔺 NJ worker killed in horrific accident at cemetery sparks lawsuit against manufacturer
🔺 Attorney sues Bandit Industries, claiming the chipper lacked safety features
🔺 The 22-year-old victim is survived by his parents

FLEMINGTON — An attorney in charge of the estate of a 22-year-old man who was brutally killed in a woodchipper mishap has sued the company that makes the machinery.

On July 10, 2024, Flemington police were called to the Saint Magdalen Cemetery on Thatchers Hill Road around 6:20 p.m.

Eonias “Leo” Mateo-Perez, of Flemington, was found dead, gruesomely hurt by a hand-fed woodchipper.

Mateo-Perez worked for William LaRue Services of Flemington, which has no prior history with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a spokeswoman said.

⬛ Trenton man killed after leaving disabled car on dark Route 1

🚨Trenton man killed after SUV became disabled on Route 1 in Bucks County

🚨Fatal incident happened around 2:25 a.m. near Route 13 overpass
🚨It's not known if drugs or alcohol played a role

FALLS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Trenton man was killed after he stepped out of his disabled vehicle on Route 1 early Tuesday morning.

Falls Township police said the driver of a Cadillac SUV lost control on Route 1 North at the Route 13 overpass around 2:25 a.m. He hit the jersey barrier in the median and came to a stop in the middle of the highway. The driver went to the right shoulder for safety.
The man was struck by a Lexus ES3 driven by a 30-year-old man also from Trenton. He was pronounced dead at Capitol Health Trenton. A passenger in the Cadillac suffered minor injuries. The Lexus driver did not seek medical attention.

Police said it is not known if alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash. The identities of the victim and driver were not disclosed.

⬛ Stolen mail-in ballots in NJ as Trump sends election monitors

🔴 Mail-in ballots were stolen in Middlesex and Union counties.
🔴 DOJ sending federal monitors to Passaic County amid claims of vote-by-mail fraud.
🔴 Attorney General Matt Platkin calls the federal intervention “highly inappropriate.”

WOODBRIDGE — Residents in at least two New Jersey counties should double-check to make sure their vote is counted in the upcoming elections after mail-in ballots were stolen.

Mail-in ballots were stolen in Metuchen on Sept. 24, according to the United States Postal Inspection Service in Newark. The ballots were taken as part of an isolated mail theft incident, USPIS spokesperson Gregory Kliemisch said in a statement.

Investigators notified the Middlesex County clerk, who then sent out notices to affected customers. Officials said that mail-in ballots have been reissued to the voters who were impacted.

Then, earlier this month, the USPIS and Woodbridge police investigated another mail theft incident.

⬛ NJ cop in child sex abuse case found dead in park

🚨Hamilton police officer facing child sex abuse image charges found dead in a park
🚨Prosecutors say Brian DiBiasi died by suicide along the Delaware River
🚨DiBiasi and his wife face criminal charges

HOPEWELL (Mercer) — A police officer charged with creation of child sexual abuse material in front of his children was found dead in a Mercer County park early Tuesday.

Mercer County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that police found Brian DiBiasi dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on River Drive along the Delaware River inside Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell.

DiBiasi, a Hamilton police officer, and Elizabeth DiBiasi, an employee with the Mercer County Sheriff's Office, were arrested Jan. 30 at their home in Hamilton and were held at the Monmouth County Jail. Both were suspended from their jobs.

Court records show their case has been transferred to Burlington County but has not come to trial. They had been released by judges with restrictions on visits with their children.

⬛ What we know: Rutgers student hurt in suspected hazing at frat house

NEW BRUNSWICK — A 19-year-old Rutgers University student was found critically hurt, after a disconnected 911 call on Oct. 15 led police to a fraternity house that has since been shut down.

The student was unconscious and being loaded into a private vehicle when officers arrived at the Alpha Sigma Phi house along College Avenue in New Brunswick.

On Friday, the national fraternity said that its own investigation shows evidence that hazing did occur and the Rutgers frat chapter was shut down.

But there is so much about this case we still do not know. Police and prosecutors are refusing to reveal any early details of thier investigation and if anyone will be charged.

New Jersey 101.5's Erin Vogt has been following this story and has put together a list of what we do know, and the answers we are still waiting for.

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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