NJ 7th District Primary Election: Who's Running, How To Vote

Tuesday's Primary Election in Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Morris, Warren, and Essex counties includes voting for the representative for the House member from New Jersey's 7th Congressional District.

There are three Republican candidates seeking the two-year House of Representatives seat from incumbent Tom Malinowski. The Republican candidates include Thomas H. Kean, Jr.; Raafat Barsoom, and Tom Phillips. The winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary voting will face Malinowski in the general election.

Kean Jr., who has served as Senate minority leader since 2003, has a family legacy pf public service. He is the grandson of former U.S. Representative Robert Winthrop Kean and son of former Governor Thomas H. Kean Sr.

He faces a primary challenge from Dr. Raafat Barsoom, who was a Christian born in Egyptwith a dream to be a doctor. He opened a medical office in Cairo before moving to the United States where he became an Emergency and Trauma doctor.

Another challenger includes Tom Phillips of Scotch Plains. Phillips has worked in finance and human resources for small businesses and large corporations while also serving as an adjunct college instructor. He's taught both finance and competitive strategy in a graduate school setting.

If you are planning to vote in the primary, here's what you need to know about the process:
If you received a mail-in ballot because you are a registered Republican or a registered Democrat, here are the ways you can submit your vote:

• Mail it back, following the instructions on the ballot. It must be postmarked no later than 8 p.m. on July 7, 2020, to be counted in the election.
• Deliver your completed ballot in person to the Board of Elections in your county.
• In Mercer County, the Board of Elections is located at 640 South Broad Street in Trenton.
• In Middlesex County, the Board of Elections is located at 11 Kennedy Boulevard in East Brunswick.
• In Somerset County, the Board of Elections is located at 20 Grove Street in Somerville.
• In Union County, the Board of Elections is located at 271 North Broad Street in Elizabeth.

You can also drop your completed ballot off in a secure ballot drop box. The drop boxes are under surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days a week and ballots will be picked up daily.

In Somerset County, drop boxes can be found in these locations:

• Bernards Township Municipal Building, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge;
• Bridgewater Township Municipal Building, 100 Commons Way, Bridgewater;
• Somerset County Administration Building, 20 Grove Street, Somerville;
• Hillsborough Municipal Building, 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough;
• Franklin Municipal Building, 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset.

In Union County, drop boxes can be found in these locations:

• Smith County Courthouse, 102 Main Street, Springfield;
• Lincoln Library, 44 Elm Road, Elmville;
• Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth;
• Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford;
• Plainfield Municipal Building, 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield;
• Union Township Municipal Building, 1976 Morris Avenue, Union;
• Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield.

In Morris County, drop boxes can be found in these locations:

• Morris County Administration & Records Building 10 Court Street, Morristown NJ 07960 (Outside front entrance)
• Mount Olive Municipal Building 204 Flanders/Drakestown Road, Budd Lake NJ 07828 (Parking Lot entrance to Municipal Offices)
• Rockaway Twp. Municipal Building 65 Mount Hope Road, Rockaway, NJ 07866 (Outside Police Department)
• Montville Municipal Building 195 Changebridge Road, Montville, NJ 07045 (In front of Municipal Building)
• Madison Municipal Public Safety Building 62 Kings Road, Madison, NJ 07940 (Commuter Parking Lot 3)

In Essex County, drop boxes can be found in these locations:

• East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange
• Montclair Municipal Bldg., 205 Claremont Ave., Montclair
• Newark City Hall, 920 Broad Street, Newark
• West Caldwell, 30 Clinton Rd, West Caldwell
• West Orange, 560 Northfield Ave., West Orange

The deadline for dropping your ballot off in the drop boxes is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.
Polling locations have been decreased by fifty percent; and, therefore, election districts have been consolidated. They will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling location here.