New Jersey Election Results: Gas Tax Referendum Approved, Clinton Wins N.J.

While voting to elect former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the presidency, New Jersey voters agreed to dedicate money from the gas tax increase toward the Transportation Trust Fund by a 1,507,691 to 1,469,921 vote.

The money formally dedicates money from a recently Gov. Chris Christie-endorsed 23-cent gas tax hike toward transportation projects, such as bridge and road construction and transit improvements.

In the presidential race, meanwhile, Clinton took 54.8 percent of the vote, or 1,940,809 votes, over Republican nominee Donald Trump's 42.0 percent, or 1,485,485 votes, with 93 percent of the precincts reporting, according to CNN.

Energy was high and turnout is strong statewide Tuesday in New Jersey, as voters turn out to select the next President of the United States, plus weigh in on local races and two statewide ballot questions.

The rough and tumble 2016 presidential campaign culminates with your vote Tuesday, and Patch was covering any and all things election-related here in New Jersey.

Presidential Race: Get the Results as They Come In

Must-Read Stories:

• New Jersey's not considered a pivotal battleground state in the presidential race, but there's a lot to vote for that could directly impact everyone who's concerned about the economy - particularly gas prices - in the state. Read more here...
• New Jersey voters were asked to decide if casinos should open in two counties in North Jersey on Tuesday. Read more here....
• Frustratingly long Election Day lines stretching blocks were seen at polling places in New Jersey for Tuesday’s presidential election as the state dealt with several issues. In two towns, poll workers took down a sign that appeared to tell voters they needed ID to cast their ballot. No ID is required for voting in New Jersey, but some reported that people walked away from polling places after seeing the sign. Read more here...
• Middlesex County is currently being monitored by the Department of Justice to make sure they're complying with all federal voting rights laws-- the only county in New Jersey to be monitored. Read more here...
• Police asked a man holding a Donald Trump sign Tuesday morning to back away from the polling location because he was too close, authorities said. Read more here...

From the campaign trail:

There have been problems from the campaign trail, including:

• In Metuchen, poll workers took down a sign that appeared to tell voters they needed ID to cast their ballot. No ID is required for voting in New Jersey, but some reported that people walked away from polling places after seeing the sign.

Some took to Twitter to protest:

• In Jersey City, meanwhile, ABC New York posted photos of lines more befitting a rock concert ticket queue near the city's fire headquarters during Tuesday’s election.

A local voter posted a YouTube video of an Election Day line in Jersey City, which can be seen below.

• See related article: Election 2016 Voter Guide in New Jersey

Another local voter reported that she spent three and a half hours in line, posting a Tweet that read: “3.5 hours in Jersey City and I didn't even get a sticker.”

Election officials in Jersey City’s ninth district eventually brought in additional voting booths to help ease the congestion, an ABC7 reporter posted.

• Reports of long Election Day lines were also seen in Hoboken on Tuesday, NJ.com stated.

• In Pennsville, voters reported that machines were not working.

• The Jersey Shore Hurricane News Facebook page reported that voters without ID were being turned away at Ocean Acres Elementary School in Stafford Township.

Dennick later told the Patch that he and his wife went to Ocean Acres Elementary School Tuesday morning about 10 a.m. to cast their votes and he detailed what happened next:

"The guy behind the table made no motion to get the voter book, but instead asked for my ID," Dennick said. "I was surprised and asked him why I needed to show my ID, since it was against the law. He said because the election board said so. I asked him if there was some one in charge I could talk to about this and he said there was no one in charge."

Dennick said the exchange went back and forth for about 5 minutes before he finally pulled out his ID so he could vote.

"I didn't think anything of it at the time, but the lady in front of me walked away without voting," Dennick said. "All I heard of her conversation with the poll worker was him telling her it was to prevent people from voting multiple times and that he's seen people try it a bunch already today."

He and his wife reported it to the Ocean County election board, he said, and was told they were going to send someone down there right away. His wife also called 866-our vote and reported it to them, he said.

In Toms River, Joseph Lewkowicz said he encountered a problem when he went to vote at the Elks Club on Washington Street: "They told me I was 216 years old at the Elks in TR," he said in a comment on the Toms River Patch Facebook page. "Almost would not let me vote til people around me started making comments. Several phone calls and finally a person with authority said I could finally vote. I was there approximately 30 minutes," he said.

In Short Hills, voters were reportedly asked to use paper ballots after polling stations had mechanical malfunctions.

Multiple Patch readers sent in reports of other issues on Tuesday.

A Blackwood resident who asked not to be named told Patch that she and her husband went to their polling place in Blackwood to vote, only to be told he was now on the mail-in voting list.

"He checked and I am on there as well," the resident said. "We have zero idea as to how this happened, we have never filled anything out for that. We have went there in the past, no problem, to vote for mayors, governors, and presidents. My husband was livid and demanded to know what in the heck was going on. They made him fill out about 20 minutes of paper work, along with a mail in vote, gave him a number and told him to call in 10 days to see if his vote even counted. Looks like that is what I have to look forward to when I get out of work and go to vote. Two words, crooked and rigged. "

Other alleged issues were less about the democratic process and more about the rewards of being a voter.

"Scotch Plains isn't giving the 'I voted' stickers out, so you can't show you're proud and can't get a free appetizer at Texas Roadhouse," a voter who identified himself as "George C." reported.

Elsewhere, nearly 20,000 ballots had to be counted by hand in Burlington County due to a printing mistake, according to published reports. The wrong markings on mail-in ballots that identify the town and voting district have lead to the hand counting of at least 19,000 ballots in the Burlington County Courthouse on Tuesday, according to the Courier Post. No specific towns were mentioned, but counting may take up to two days, and could impact the vote across the county.

• See related article: Mail-In Ballot Error Leads To Hand Count Of Ballots In Burlington County

Photo: YouTube