HACKENSACK—Early voters in Pascack Valley know a good thing when they find it, said a county elections official discussing in-person early voting.
Nearly 45,000 registered Bergen County voters, of a total 673,094, had voted early—via mail-in or early in-person voting—a week before the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, a county elections official tell Pascack Press.
This year’s General Election features numerous contested council and school board races and a gubernatorial showdown between Republican and former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy completes his second four-year term at the end of 2025 and is term-limited.
As of midday Tuesday, Oct. 28, County Board of Elections Chair Richard Miller told us that over 21,000 of those votes were from early in-person voters who had cast ballots at one of nine countywide early voting polling sites. The remainder were mail-in votes, he said.
“Early voting is a great way to get your vote in now,” Miller said, noting that while numbers appeared to be lower than last year’s presidential contest, they were still strong. “It’s less but not a lot less than last year. We’re pretty satisfied with the turnout numbers.”
Miller said county elections officials anticipated receiving more than 50,000 combined mail-in and early in-person ballots. In-person early voting continued through Sunday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters are encouraged to check their sample ballots for local election candidates; sample ballots can also be found on the Bergen County Clerk’s Office website under Elections & Voting. For profiles of Pascack Valley candidates in contested council and school board races, visit Pascack Press online under “Latest Election Stories.”
At the Pascack Valley’s two early voting places, voters had cast 3,006 votes at Tice Senior Center in Woodcliff Lake and 2,951 at the River Vale Senior/Community Center by midday Tuesday, Oct. 28, Miller said. Paramus’s location at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, had already drawn 3,360 early voters by Tuesday, he said.
Bergen County had 662,328 registered voters during the Primary Election on June 10, according to county election officials. That election had an 18.8% overall turnout, with 124,774 voters casting ballots. A current count of registered voters was not immediately available.
Every year, county election officials advertise the early voting period—six days for primaries, nine days for general elections—with towns posting information on municipal websites and flyers in public spaces such as libraries, town halls, and public access channels. Early voting began in November 2021, after being approved by Gov. Murphy earlier that year.
Miller said voters’ awareness of early voting periods has increased significantly since its 2021 start. “Absolutely, people’s awareness has increased, and those who have tried it like it a lot and tell their friends,” he said. Miller added that the Wyckoff location appears to draw the highest volume of early voters.
Wes Wagner, a trainer and elections consultant who works with county poll workers and election officials statewide, told Pascack Press, “Voters understand that early in-person voting is the same as Election Day voting—just spread over multiple days. Convenience is the number one comment we hear.”
Asked about tips for voters, Superintendent of Elections Debra Francica said, “One of the biggest things we want the voter to know is that this ballot is 22 inches long. They must wait for the ballot to print out on both sides, and they must wait to see the green check mark on the tablet screen before they grab their ballot from the printer.”
For our 2025 Election Guide, visit PascackPress.com.