South Brunswick 2026 Election Guide: Candidates, Deadlines, How To Vote

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A U.S. Senate race and an open seat in Congress top the ballot for South Brunswick voters on Nov. 3. Closer to home, voters will also choose a mayor, a township council member and three school board members.

Early voting begins Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 1.

The Middlesex County Clerk’s Office has released sample ballots for South Brunswick, which can be found here.

“Middlesex County is committed to making it as convenient as possible for residents to participate in our elections,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. “Whether you choose to vote during Early Voting, on Election Day, or by Mail-In Ballot, there are options to fit your schedule. We encourage residents to plan ahead, familiarize themselves with their voting options and deadlines, and make their voices heard in the 2026 General Election.”

County Clerk Nancy J. Pinkin said voters who choose to vote by mail can count on the usual process this year. “Voters who choose to receive a Mail-In Ballot can be assured that the established Vote-by-Mail process remains in place for the November 3 General Election,” Pinkin said. “We want every eligible voter to know where to go, what to expect, and how to return their ballot so they can participate with confidence.”

Here are the races South Brunswick voters will be asked to cast ballots for:

U.S. SENATE – Candidates for U.S. Senate are Justin Murphy (Republican), Cory Booker (Democrat), Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) and Veronica Fernandez (End the Corruption). The term lasts six years.

U.S. HOUSE, 12th DISTRICT – With Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman retiring, four candidates are running for the open seat: Gregg Mele (Republican), Adam Hamawy (Democrat), Winston Jordan (Get Money Out) and Andres Jinete (Green Party). The term lasts two years.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY SURROGATE – The candidates are Harold V. Kane Jr. (Republican) and Claribel Cortes (Democrat). The term lasts five years.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (vote for two) – The candidates are John “Jack” Mikolajczyk (Republican), Andrew Zaborney (Republican), Charles Tomaro (Democrat) and Leslie Koppel (Democrat). Terms last three years.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK MAYOR – The candidates are John G. O’Sullivan (Republican) and Charlie Carley (Democrat). The term lasts four years.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP COUNCIL – The candidates for one seat are Michael J. Havardansky (Republican) and Ken Bierman (Democrat). The term lasts four years.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK SCHOOL BOARD (vote for three) – Four candidates are running for three seats on the South Brunswick Board of Education: Raja Krishna, Maryam Pal, Magesh Kamalakannan and Mike Mitchell. Terms last three years.

HOW TO VOTE

The deadline to register for this election was Oct. 13. Check to see if you’re registered here.

There are three ways to vote in the 2026 general election. Here’s what’s available for Middlesex County residents, according to the county:

Vote By Mail – Registered voters can apply for a mail-in ballot at middlesexcountynj.gov/vote. Applications by mail or through the online portal are due Oct. 27. Voters can also apply in person at the County Clerk’s Office until 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

New Jersey’s existing vote-by-mail procedures remain in place for this election, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sept. 14 order, the county said.

Returning Your Mail-In Ballot: Voters have three options:

• Drop box: Place the ballot in any of the county’s 34 secure drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Every municipality has at least one. In South Brunswick the locations are the Municipal Building, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction (drop box located in front of main building to the right of visitor parking); and Community Center Woodlot Park
  124 New Road, Monmouth Junction (drop box located at walkway to front entrance.) Drop boxes are monitored by video surveillance and collected regularly. A full list of locations is here.

• In person: Deliver the ballot to the Middlesex County Board of Elections, 26 Kennedy Boulevard, Suite B, East Brunswick, by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. ID is required.

• Mail: Send the ballot through the U.S. Postal Service. It must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Ballots postmarked on time can currently be received by the Board of Elections until Monday, Nov. 9, but the county recommends mailing ballots at least one week before Election Day.

If you didn’t receive your mail-in ballot, request a replacement by calling the County Clerk’s Office at 732-745-4202 or sending a replacement ballot request form to P.O. Box 1110, New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

Mail-in ballots cannot be returned to early voting sites or Election Day polling places.

Early Voting – Registered voters can vote in person at any of the [10 early voting locations] in Middlesex County from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. No appointment is needed.

South Brunswick’s early voting site is at South Brunswick Community Center, 124 New Road, Monmouth Junction.

Early voting sites are in the following municipalities:

• East Brunswick

• Edison

• Monroe

• New Brunswick

• Old Bridge

• Perth Amboy

• Piscataway

• Sayreville

• South Brunswick

• Woodbridge

Voters who received a mail-in ballot but did not return it can still vote in person by provisional ballot at an early voting site.

Election Day – Registered voters can vote in person at their assigned polling place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling locations are listed on your sample ballot and on the county website.

Voters who received a mail-in ballot but did not return it can still vote by provisional ballot at their polling place.

Election security – The county prosecutor’s office, clerk’s office and Board of Elections are working together on security for early voting and Election Day, officials said. Every polling site is staffed by trained workers from both major parties, voting machines are tested and certified, and every vote has a paper trail that is checked in post-election audits.

For questions about eligibility, call the Middlesex County Board of Elections at 732-745-3471. For other voting questions, call the County Clerk’s Office at 732-745-4202.

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