Voting information in Ocean County for NJ Primary Elections

Ocean County voters who can't make it to the polls next Tuesday for the New Jersey Primary Election, can submit mail-in ballots.

Registered, eligible voters can obtain the ballots today and Friday and on Monday until 3 p.m. at the Ocean County Clerk's Office.

"Our Office, in conjunction with the Board of Elections, is going to have Saturday hours. We'll be open from 9 O'clock in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, so any registered, eligible voter that won't be able to make it to the polls on Tuesday and wants to get a vote-by-mail ballot and cast their ballot in the primary, we encourage them to please take advantage of these hours. We'll be over at the Board of Elections Office, adjacent to the parking garage here in Toms River," said Ocean County Clerk Scott M. Colabella.

Voter turnout for the Primary Election is typically low statewide and in Ocean County, according to Colabella.

Despite that, Donald Trump is predicted to do well in the Republican Presidential Primary, even though he's already considered the presumptive nominee. Ocean County delivered the votes that gave Chris Christie his first term as Governor, and Christie is the chair of Trump's Transition Team.

Colabella also noted Trump has had success in primaries in New York State, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

"My assumption will be, and also based on what I see on the polls, is that he will fare very well next Tuesday in the Republican Primary," Colabella said.

On the Democratic side, the contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for the party nomination could generate higher interest, according to Colabella. He noted while both candidates focus seems to be on California, "New Jersey is certainly pivotal to Secretary Clinton."

There are 203,000 unaffiliated, undeclared voters in  Ocean County, just over 72-thousand registered Democrats, and 110,000 registered Republican voters, according to Colabella.

He noted the unaffiliated and undeclared voters will be the segment of the voting population that the candidates will gear their campaigns toward in the fall. "You win that vote and odds are you're going to do well on Election Day," added Colabella. 

Other contested races that could prompt Democrats to turn out at the polls including a couple of Congressional Districts and a three-way race for Freeholder on the Democratic side, according to Colabella.

Polls on Primary Election Day will be open 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.