Voting is one of our greatest responsibilities as U.S. citizens. This nonpartisan guide has been created to help voters prepare to cast their ballot in the Tuesday, Nov. 4 election. New Jersey will have elections for governor and lieutenant governor. There are no incumbents in this year’s race.
In addition to voting for the next New Jersey Governor, residents of the Municipality of Princeton will have the opportunity to vote for candidates for New Jersey’s General Assembly. Princeton is in New Jersey’s 16th Legislative District. This year’s incumbent candidates are Mitchelle Drulis (D) and Roy Freiman (D). Members of the General Assembly serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits.
See below for information about all candidates.
Voter Registration | Vote By Mail | Voting in Person | Learn About the Candidates | Fact Checking | Important Dates | | Trusted Resources |Library Resources | For Educators
Voter Registration
To be eligible to vote in this year’s state and local elections on Nov. 4–whether voting in person or “absentee” (by mail/drop box)–you must be registered to vote by October 14, 2025.
NOTE: Early, in-person voting in New Jersey is permitted from Saturday, October 25 to Sunday, November 2. There are no requirements for eligibility. Check here to locate in-person, early-voting locations throughout New Jersey.
Register online now or check to see if you are already registered.
Prefer to register by mail? View this guide to help you complete your voter registration application:
- Mercer County (English)
- Mercer County (Español)
- Applications for residents of other New Jersey counties
To register to vote in New Jersey, you must be:
- A United States citizen
- At least 17 years old, but you may not vote until you reach the age of 18. (Visit this site to learn more about “pre-registration” for 17-year-olds.)
- A resident of the county for 30 days before the election
- A person not serving a sentence of incarceration as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state of the United States (Restoration of voting rights after a felony conviction)
Vote By Mail (“Absentee Voting”)
Completed ballots must be postmarked before 8 p.m. on Election Day or delivered in person or in a secure ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The deadline to apply (by mail) for an absentee ballot is up to 7 days prior to the election. You may apply in person to the County Clerk until 3 p.m. the day before Election Day.
A mail-in ballot without a postmark will still be counted if it is delivered by the U.S. Postal Service within 48 hours after polls close and meets all other election rules. You can find the vote-by-mail application for Mercer County residents in English here or in Spanish here. Nonprofit Vote offers some tips for voting by mail, no matter where you live in the United States. You can refer to the video below from New Jersey Votes and the Bipartisan Policy Center to learn how to complete and return your mail-in ballot.
NOTE: All registered voters are permitted to apply for absentee voting. You must request an absentee ballot for each election unless you check the “ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS” box on the Absentee Ballot Application to indicate you plan to vote by mail in all future elections.
Utilize this tool from New Jersey Votes to track your mail-in ballot once you’ve returned it.
Three Options for Returning Your Ballot:
Secure Ballot Drop Box: In addition to mailing ballots, voters have the option of placing their ballots in secure drop boxes provided by the Mercer County Board of Elections. The nearest drop box to the Sands Library Building is located at the Princeton Municipal Building, 400 Witherspoon St. Additional drop boxes are located throughout Mercer and all counties. All drop box locations are open 24 hours a day and until 8 p.m. on Election Day unless noted.
Deliver to your Board of Elections Office: You have the option of hand delivering your ballot to your county’s local board of elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The Mercer County Board of Elections office is at 930 Spruce St,. Lawrence, NJ 08648. You may also contact them by phone at 609-989-6522 or email at BoardofElections@mercercounty.org.
For more information regarding board of election offices in other counties, please visit a complete listing from New Jersey Votes.
Voting In Person on Election Day
In-person polling locations: There is at least one in-person polling location in each municipality. If you are unsure of your polling location, utilize this tool. Voters who go to the polls will be able to vote by provisional (paper) ballot or in a voting machine (only if the voter is disabled). For additional information on polling locations or becoming a poll worker, either follow this link or contact the Mercer County Board of Elections at 609-989-6522.
Candidates for Governor
- Mikie Sherrill (Democrat)
- Jack Ciattarelli (Republican)
- Stephen Zielinski (Green)
- Vic Kaplan (Libertarian)
- Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers)
- Gerardo Cedrone (Independent; no online campaign presence)
- Karen Zaletel (Independent; no online campaign presence)
Candidates for Lieutenant Governor
Dale Caldwell (Democrat)
James Gannon (Republican)
Bruno Pereira (Libertarian)
Craig Honts (Socialist Workers Party; no online presence)
Candidates for New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey’s Legislative District 16 includes municipalities in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties.
Mitchelle Drulis (Democrat-incumbent)
Roy Freiman (Democrat-incumbent)
Catherine Payne (Republican)
Scott Sipos (Republican)
Fact Checking
It is important to find accurate, credible, and authoritative information and be mindful of the existence of fake news stories. Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being harnessed around the world and in the U.S. for the creation of election disinformation. Stay vigilant and be sure to cross-reference new or surprising information regarding the upcoming general election with trusted, credible sources. There are many freely accessible tools available to help you in your research. Here are just a few:
Factcheck.org : FactCheck is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and focuses on national politics.
Center for Public Integrity : Award-winning nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative journalism organization.
NewsGuard’s “Reality Check”: Weekly reports updated regularly focusing on how misinformation online is undermining trust—and who’s behind it.
Politifact : Founded by the Tampa Bay Times and now operated by the Poynter Institute, PolitiFact is a nonpartisan fact-checking organization that focuses on national political figures.
Important Dates & Deadlines
- New Jersey voter registration deadline: Oct. 14
- Early, in-person voting: Oct. 25– Nov. 2
- Vote-by-Mail: Applications sent by mail are due seven days prior to Election Day OR must be delivered in-person to the County Clerk’s Office by no later than 3 p.m. Nov. 3.
- Mail-In Ballots: Voted ballots must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. on Election Day or delivered in person or in a secure ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day
Trusted Nonpartisan Resources
866 Our Vote Election Protection Hotline | Offers support and resources related to all issues related to voting rights in English, Spanish, Arabic, and multiple Asian languages (1-800-OUR-VOTE).
Ballotpedia | A nonpartisan information source that allows voters to see what will be on their ballots.
“Can I Vote?” from National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) | Links directly to state election websites and credible resources focused on absentee and early voting, voter registration, and valid forms of ID voting.
Federal Elections Commission | Track campaign financing information for candidates; also features a searchable database for voters.
Federal Voting Assistance Program | Assistance for military and overseas citizens.
GovTrack | Track federal legislation or see the voting and bill sponsorship records of representatives and senators.
Mercer County Elections | Local information for Mercer County, New Jersey.
Mercer County Sample Ballots | Preview the ballot for Princeton and other towns in Mercer County.
New Jersey Legislative Districts Map| An interactive map for determining which voting district you live in.
New Jersey Division of Elections Information Portal | Provides New Jersey information regarding the election.
Vote411 | A nonpartisan voter education site powered by the League of Women Voters.
Vote Smart | Search tools that allow you to research candidates and elected officials, voting records, and issues.
Princeton Public Library Resources
For Educators
- iCivics | “Election Central” provides a curated selection of nonpartisan resources to foster learning about local and national elections, the importance of voting and making their voices heard.
- Democracy Class (“Rock the Vote”) | A free, nonpartisan curriculum that educates high school students about the importance and history of voting and pre-registers and registers them to vote.
- Election Central (PBS) | A suite of documents, videos, and lesson plans focused on several areas of civic engagement: Civics & Democracy 101; Election Basics; How Voting Works; Voting Rights; News & Current Issues; Media in Elections; Civic Participation. (For grades 3-12).
- NewsGuard | Provides K-12 schools with media literacy tools and curricula aligned with Common Core & ISTE standards that enable students to develop skills to help them detect and counter misinformation. Its staff of trained journalists and information specialists throughout the world collects, updates, catalogues and tracks all of the top false narratives spreading online.” (Scroll down to check out the free resources readily offered.)