Polls are open today across New Jersey from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., marking voters’ final opportunity to cast ballots in the General Election. Residents can vote in person at their assigned polling place, drop off vote-by-mail ballots at a secure drop box, or mail them as long as they are postmarked by November 4 and received by the County Board of Elections within the required timeframe.
How to Vote Today
If you are voting in person, you can find your polling location at Vote.NJ.Gov.
Vote-by-mail ballots can be dropped off at any Mercer County secure drop box before 8 p.m. There is a secure box located at the Hopewell Township Police Station and Municipal Building.
If you are unsure whether your mail-in ballot has been received, you can check its status through the NJ Voter Information Portal.
Joann Held, president of the Hopewell Valley League of Women Voters (LWV), said this year’s engagement has been strong.
“Our Hopewell Valley League of Women Voters has been gratified to see how many people have been engaged in conversation about the issues in the run up to this election,” Held said. “Tuesday is the last chance to be a part of the process. We encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote. The more people who vote, the stronger our democracy.”
If you encounter issues at the polls—such as your name not appearing in the registration book—you are entitled to vote by provisional ballot, which will be verified and counted once your registration status is confirmed.
For questions, voters can call:
- League of Women Voters of NJ Hotline: 1-800-792-VOTE
- NJ Division of Elections Hotline: 1-866-687-8683
Key Local Ballot Questions
Voters across the Hopewell Valley will see several important referenda and local races on today’s ballot.
Hopewell Borough Water System Referendum
Hopewell Borough residents will decide whether to sell the community-owned water system to New Jersey American Water. The ballot question follows more than a year of public debate and will determine whether the Borough retains local ownership or transfers operation to a private utility. The issue has sparked a lot of debate in the Borough with active discussion on both sides of the issue. The sale of the system will bring in over $6 million dollars and millions more in infrastructure investment allowing the Borough to pay off their municipal debt and lower water rates for most customers. Critics argue that there are some people whose rates will increase, and the loss of local control will hurt the Borough in the long run. Read many of the articles on this issue and letters to the editor at https://mercerme.com/tag/water-sale/.
Hopewell Valley Regional School District Bond Referendum
All district residents—Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, and Pennington Borough—will vote on a two-question referendum totaling more than $80 million in school infrastructure projects.
Question 1 funds districtwide critical infrastructure repairs, HVAC replacements, and safety upgrades. Question 2 focuses on additions at Bear Tavern Elementary and Toll Gate Grammar School that will add classroom space benefiting all the elementary schools and allowing the schools to stop using the temporary trailers that have been in place for about 30 years. Read many of the articles on this issue, including letters to the editor in favor and against the referendum at https://mercerme.com/tag/referendum/ .
“With the school referendum on the ballot, Tuesday offers our community the chance to address real and urgent needs that affect every student, family, and neighborhood in Hopewell Valley,” Luis Martinez of Hopewell Township said. “This vote is more than just about school buildings—it is the only way to unlock $20.2 million in state aid that is otherwise unavailable to us.”
“By casting your vote, you play a genuine role in shaping Hopewell Valley’s future,” he added. Martinez is involved with the group We are Hopewell Valley that has been one of the vocal groups supporting the referendum.
Former mayor Vanessa Sandom and John Hart have been leading the Teahv.org group that has been advocating against Question 2.
According to the Hopewell Valley Regional School District (HVRSD), the bond referendum asks voters to decide on two questions totaling $84.2 million in projects.
- Question 1 focuses on replacing aging infrastructure, from roofs and HVAC systems to security upgrades and drainage improvements, with an estimated cost of $58.4 million.
- Question 2, which can only pass if Question 1 is approved, would fund additions at Bear Tavern Elementary and Toll Gate Grammar to expand classroom space and manage enrollment growth.
If both questions pass, the district would receive $20.2 million in state aid, offsetting local costs. District officials say the upgrades would reduce reliance on modular classrooms and preserve class sizes as student enrollment rises.
Superintendent Dr. Rosetta Treece said the proposal reflects community feedback after last year’s failed bond effort:
“This is a school referendum, but it is also very much a community referendum. We worked closely with the community after the 2024 proposal failed to focus on the most practical needs,” Treece said.
Assistant Superintendent Robert Colavita added that the projects would be supported by “state tax dollars we could not otherwise access,” while Board President Anita Williams Galiano noted that expansions at Bear Tavern and Toll Gate “would help keep class sizes manageable and prevent widespread redistricting.”
More details, including a project-by-school breakdown and informational videos, are available at hvrsd.org/vote.
Contested Local Races
In addition to ballot questions, several local governing and school board seats are on the ballot across the Valley.
- Hopewell Township Committee: There are two seats up with Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning and Deputy Mayor David Chait facing challengers Ed Jackowski and Steven Niederer
- Hopewell Borough Council: There are two candidates on the ballot and a recent write-in candidate that entered the race.
- Hopewell Valley Regional School Board: There are multiple seats open with one contested decision for Township representatives. There are three candidates vying for two seats. Incumbent Amanda Stylianu and newcomers Hope Cotter and Bill Keithler are running in the Township. Current board member Mark Peters is running unopposed for the Hopewell Borough seat.
In addition to the articles and letters that MercerMe has available, voters can watch videos that the League of Women Voters’ did for the contest races. These nonpartisan videos are available on their YouTube channel.
Early Voting Turnout Across Mercer County
MercerMe looked at the early voting records posted by Mercer County through November 2, 2025, to understand how many residents cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. These figures reflect in-person early voting only — they do not include mail-in ballots, and they do not reveal how anyone voted.
According to county records, 32,116 Mercer County residents voted in person early this year. That total includes those who visited the county’s early voting centers between October 25 and November 2.
Early voting started steadily, averaging about 3,000 voters per day during the first week, then surged over the final weekend. More than 9,700 voters cast ballots on November 1 and 2, accounting for roughly 30% of the county’s entire early vote total.
Registered by party affiliation:
- Democratic: 52.6%
- Republican: 21.9%
- Unaffiliated: 24.9%
- Other parties: 0.5%
Within the Hopewell Valley, a total of 3,612 residents voted early — about 11% of all early votes countywide.
- Hopewell Township: 2,852 early voters
- Pennington Borough: 553 early voters
- Hopewell Borough: 207 early voters
Countywide, Hamilton Township led early voting with more than 7,700 ballots cast, followed by Lawrence, Ewing, West Windsor, and Princeton, each topping 3,000 early voters. Together, those five communities accounted for roughly two-thirds of all early votes in Mercer County.
Statewide and Regional Races
At the top of the ballot, New Jersey voters will choose the state’s next Governor, with Democrat Mikie Sherrill running against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
Resources
For all official election information, visit the New Jersey Division of Elections website: www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote.shtml.
