TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County has long been a Republican stronghold, but mail-in ballots are allowing Democrats to bridge that gap.

According to county officials, this year, Democrats who have registered to receive mail-in ballots outnumber Republicans.

As of May 28, the Ocean County Clerk’s Office has issued 43,556 by-mail ballots to registered voters for the June 4 Primary.

“Of the total issued, 22,469 were issued to Democrats, and 21,087 were issued to
Republicans,” Ocean County Clerk Scott Colabella said. “The number of Vote by Mail ballots returned so far to the Ocean County Board of Elections total 15,815.

While a federal judge has struck down the party line in New Jersey, Collabella says that only applies to Democrats in Ocean County as the ruling only applied to Democrat primaries as no Republican mounted a challenge prior to the deadlines given by the court.

Colabella said that as a result of a federal court decision earlier this year, the Democratic Party ballot is now a block style ballot design listing all candidates and the respective office they are running for in one column.

While 2024 is a Presidential year in which Donald Trump is expected to get at least 65-70% of the total vote in Ocean County, Democrats could continue chipping away slowly in the coming years as the Republican “Get Out The Vote” campaign in Ocean County has been historically weak out of lack of necessity.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.