Toms River Primary Election 2024: What To Know, Where To Vote

TOMS RIVER, NJ — It's Primary Election Day across New Jersey Tuesday, and in Toms River voters are headed to the polls to choose candidates for the November general election.

Here's what you need to know before you cast your vote Tuesday:

The basics

• Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Check your voter registration
• Drop off your mail-in ballot at an Ocean County dropbox
• Track your mail-in ballot
• Find your polling location for Election Day

Tuesday’s Democratic and Republican winners will be able to run in the general election on Nov. 5. June 4 also is the deadline for independent candidates to file petitions to run for office. New Jersey's open primaries allow unaffiliated voters to cast ballots as long as they are registered to vote.

Who's On The Ballot

Toms River Township Council

Republicans in Ward 2 will be choosing between William Byrne, who is Mayor Dan Rodrick's handpicked candidate to fill Rodrick's Ward 2 council seat, and Kevin Geoghegan, a councilman who was ousted during the last election.

Byrne's campaign has been run by Rodrick, who handled his candidate petition and has personally posted Byrne's campaign signs. In mailers Rodrick has urged voters to choose Byrne to allow Rodrick to continue his vision for Toms River, and has attacked Geoghegan, reiterating prior claims that Geoghegan is responsible for overdevelopment.

Geoghegan formally challenged Byrne's candidacy in court, and while his court challenge failed, has campaigned calling Byrne a Republican in name only, as Byrne just changed political parties in March not long before the candidate petition was filed. Geoghegan has publicly challenged Rodrick to change the township zoning ordinances regarding houses of worship — a response to Rodrick's claims that the township should have fought the Justice Department on the matter instead of settling and avoiding a federal lawsuit by the Justice department. Geoghegan has urged voters to choose him in hopes of curtailing some of Rodrick's actions that require council approval, in response to Rodrick's moves regarding the police department staffing and the Toms River animal shelter that have drawn public criticism.

Susan Payne Gato is seeking the Democratic nomination.

Ocean County Commissioner

There are two commissioner seats up for 2024.

The Republican candidates are Jennifer Bacchione, who sits on the Ocean County Board of Health and is married to Berkeley Township Mayor John Bacchione, and Manchester Mayor Robert Arace.

There are two slates of Democratic candidates. Kenneth Seda and Karen Sugden have the support of the county's Democratic club, while Regina C. Discenza and Joseph Lamb are challenging to be the Democratic candidates.

Presidential Election

While Donald Trump and Joe Biden are the presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees, respectively, Democrat voters have other options on the ballot. These include anti-abortion activist Terrisa Bukovinac and "Uncommitted," a pro-Palestine protest vote.

U.S. Senate

Justin Murphy, Curtis Bashaw, Albert Harshaw and Christine Serrano Glassner are seeking the Republican nomination to fill Sen. Bob Menendez’s current seat. Running as Democrats are Andy Kim, Patricia Campos-Medina and Lawrence Hamm.

House of Representatives

In the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Chris Smith is being challenged for the Republican nomination by David Schmidt. Matthew Jenkins seeks the Democratic nomination.