Kerrie Joyce 
As election season comes around the bend, many of us are brushing up on our electoral lingo. To ensure readers have as much information as possible before they head to the poll booths or mail in their ballots this November, The Local Girl compiled electoral terms that might make other resources with candidate + election information easier to read. We also included important dates for voters, especially those who haven’t registered yet. Keep reading for the info you need to know for the upcoming general election this November 4th.
Election Terms to Know
- Absentee and Mail-in Voting: Voters in New Jersey can vote by mail if, for any reason they are not able to attend an in-person polling site on Election Day. Some states require a valid excuse to vote by mail or absentee ballot, but New Jersey is not one of them. The New Jersey Division of Elections has applications + instructions for mail-in voting online.
- Ballot: A ballot is the physical form on which candidates will appear for voters to select. Voters may find sample ballots on their local county clerk’s office website. For example, here is one from the Hudson County Clerk’s Office’s website.
- Candidate: The NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission defines a candidate as an individual seeking election to a public office of this State or of a county, municipality, or school or fire district at any election. Included in this definition is an individual who runs unopposed, loses an election, withdraws from an election, or raises and/or spends money to run for elected office but never appears on the ballot. If elected to office, the officeholder remains a candidate throughout the period of time the office is held.
- General Election: A general election is an election in which candidates are elected to offices, as compared to a primary election, which is a preliminary race before winners advance to a general election. The upcoming non-partisan municipal elections are part of a general election.
- Gubernatorial: Gubernatorial relates to the Governor’s office. The office of the Governor of New Jersey is up for election this year. Current Governor Phil Murphy is at the end of his second term, and therefore cannot run for re-election. The candidates for the New Jersey gubernatorial race are Jack Ciattarelli (Republican) and Mikie Sherrill (Democrat).
- Incumbent: Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as a candidate for political office who currently holds the office being sought. This would be an official seeking re-election to continue holding the same office that they currently serve.
- Municipal: This is a term describing local elections for city, town, or municipality-level public office.
Read More: 2025 Hoboken City Council Candidates Answer Your Questions
- Partisan/Non-Partisan: Partisan elections categorize candidates by political party and often include a primary election; the winners of each will then advance to the general election. Gubernatorial candidates Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill won their respective primaries and will advance to the general election in November. The winner of that election will be the new Governor of New Jersey come January. Non-partisan elections, which are sometimes held for municipal elections, include all of the candidates running in the general election without consideration for political party or holding a primary.
- Primary Election: According to Ballotpedia, primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election. New Jersey has a closed primary system, meaning that voters may only vote in primaries for the party to which they are registered, whereas some other states have open primaries where voters can participate regardless of their party affiliation.
- Runoff: Ballotpedia defines a runoff election as a second election held to determine a winner when no candidate in the first election met the required threshold for victory. Runoff elections can be held for both primary elections and general elections. To learn more about how this has happened in New Jersey in the past, HG has a runoff explainer article.
- Slate: A slate is a group of candidates running for different offices who co-endorse each other. Some New Jersey municipalities have non-partisan municipal races for offices such as Mayor and City Council. Candidates who share similar policy goals run on slates rather than grouping themselves by political party.
- Voting Plan: A voting plan is simply your plan for how you are going to vote. It might seem tedious, but it’s important to ensure how, where, and when you are going to vote to ensure you can participate in an election. With National Voter Education Week approaching, voters can reference the organization’s guide to know the candidates and offices they will be voting on, nearby polling locations, check their voter registration status, and more.
- Voter Registration: According to Ballotpedia, voter registration is the process that allows citizens to register with election officials in order to become eligible to vote. In 49 states, voters are required to register to vote. North Dakota is the only state that does not require voters to register. Some states allow same-day voter registration, but New Jersey is not one of them. The New Jersey Division of Elections website and National Voter Education Week have resources for registering to vote or checking your status.
- Ward: A ward is a region or district within a town or municipality that a given public official represents. In many New Jersey municipalities, City Councils include a combination of Councilmembers at-large and Councilmembers representing specific wards.
See More: In-Person Voting Locations in Montclair
Key Dates for New Jersey Voters
October 14th, 2025 is the deadline to register to vote in New Jersey’s 2025 general election. Residents can complete Voter Registration Applications online. Applications are available in English, Spanish, Korean, and Gujarati.
October 25th – November 2nd is the early voting period.
Registered voters may vote in person on Election Day or early at an early voting location.
October 28th is the deadline for County Clerk’s offices to receive vote-by-mail applications in the mail for the November general election. To vote by mail, registered voters must apply through the New Jersey Division of Elections and return the application to their County Clerk. In-person applications for mail-in ballots will be received until 3PM the day prior to the election. Applications are available in English and Spanish.
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