Writing, notes, and research from The Continental Exchange.
Montgomery Township, New Jersey
Who's on the Montgomery Township, New Jersey ballot: a guide to the November 3 election
Montgomery Township, New Jersey, votes on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. On the ballot, in ballot order: U.S. Senate, U.S. House NJ-12, Somerset County Commissioner, Township Committee, and the Board of Education.
Find your polling place on the Somerset County Clerk elections page (opens in a new tab) or at vote.nj.gov (opens in a new tab).
How to vote
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. New Jersey Division of Elections (opens in a new tab)
Early voting runs from October 24 to November 1, 2026. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Somerset County sites include the Montgomery Municipal Building, 100 Community Drive, Skillman. Early voting sites and hours (opens in a new tab)
To vote by mail, apply in person by 3 p.m. on November 2. Return a ballot to a drop box or the Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on November 3. A ballot sent by mail must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on November 3 and received by November 9. Vote by mail rules (opens in a new tab)
How a name gets a column
In New Jersey, a candidate who is not nominated in the Democratic or Republican primary gets on the general-election ballot by petition. The petition may print a designation of the candidate's party or principles in not more than three words. That designation may not use the name of a party that has a primary, or a form of that name. N.J.S.A. 19:13-4 (opens in a new tab). A different rule covers primary ballots. There, a candidate may print a slogan of up to six words. N.J.S.A. 19:23-17 (opens in a new tab).
The grid follows the county sample ballot. Tap a photo to open that candidate.
On a phone, swipe the grid sideways. Column order stays the same.
Board of Education
School board candidates run by petition, with no Democratic or Republican column. Vote for 3.
U.S. Senate
Vote for 1
What this job is
- A U.S. senator serves a six-year term. One of New Jersey's two Senate seats is on this ballot. senate.gov (opens in a new tab)
- The base pay for a member of Congress is $174,000. clerk.house.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Senators vote on federal laws and the federal budget. They confirm federal judges and cabinet officers, and they vote on treaties. senate.gov (opens in a new tab)
- For a Montgomery household, that is the vote on federal tax rules and on whether a road, rail, or flood project in central New Jersey gets federal money. senate.gov (opens in a new tab)
U.S. House NJ-12
Vote for 1
What this job is
- A U.S. representative serves a two-year term. This seat is open. house.gov (opens in a new tab)
- The base pay is the same $174,000. clerk.house.gov (opens in a new tab)
- New Jersey's 12th District includes all of Montgomery, plus Princeton, Rocky Hill, Franklin, South Brunswick, Trenton, Plainfield, and other towns in Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union. Parts of Hillsborough and Bridgewater are in the district too. njspotlightnews.org (opens in a new tab)
- Bills that raise taxes or spend federal money start in the House. The House can impeach a federal officer. The Senate holds the trial. house.gov (opens in a new tab)
- The person Montgomery elects writes those bills and is the district's voice when Congress decides which local projects to fund. house.gov (opens in a new tab)
Somerset County Commissioner
Vote for 2
What this job is
- Somerset County is governed by a five-member board. Members serve three-year terms, and one or two seats are on the ballot each year. Voters pick two this year. somersetcountynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
- The board chooses its own director. The office was called freeholder until January 1, 2021, when state law renamed it county commissioner. pub.njleg.state.nj.us (opens in a new tab)
- The county describes the job as part-time. A dollar salary is not publicly listed on the commissioner page. somersetcountynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
- The board adopts the county budget. That budget funds county roads and bridges, parks, public health, Raritan Valley Community College, and Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School. The sheriff runs the county jail. The county clerk and the Board of Elections run voting. somersetcountynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
- A Montgomery resident meets this board on a county road, in a county park, or if a student attends the county vocational school. somersetcountynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
Township Committee 3-year
Vote for 1
What this job is
- Montgomery uses a five-member township committee. Members serve three-year terms. Each January the committee picks a mayor and a deputy mayor from its own members. Residents do not elect the mayor directly. njlm.org (opens in a new tab)
- The 2026 salary ordinance lists $8,000 for a committee member, $9,000 for the deputy mayor, and $10,000 for the mayor. montgomerynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
- The committee adopts the municipal budget and the township's share of the property tax. It oversees police, zoning and land use, local roads, and open space. In 2026 that municipal budget is 13.75 percent of the tax bill. montgomerynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
- This row is a full three-year term. The other township row on this ballot is the shorter, unexpired seat. themontynews.org (opens in a new tab)
- The committee sets the municipal line on a Montgomery tax bill and decides what can be built, including on large sites such as the former Johnson and Johnson campus in Skillman. montgomerynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
Township Committee 2-year
Vote for 1
What this job is
- This is the same five-member township committee. The mayor is still chosen by the committee, and the pay schedule is the same. njlm.org (opens in a new tab)
- The seat is on the ballot for two years because Vince Barragan resigned on June 18, 2026, after moving to Princeton. The committee appointed Douglas Herring on July 16, 2026, to serve until this election. headlinenewsmontgomery.com (opens in a new tab)
- Herring's appointment ends with this election. Voters choose who finishes the term Barragan left. That race is for two years. themontynews.org (opens in a new tab)
- Whoever wins takes the same votes as the other four members: the municipal budget, the local tax share, police, zoning, roads, and open space. montgomerynj.gov (opens in a new tab)
Board of Education
Vote for 3
What this job is
- Montgomery's Board of Education has nine members, serving staggered three-year terms. Three seats are on this ballot. The race is nonpartisan, so these columns are not Democratic or Republican. mtsd.k12.nj.us (opens in a new tab)
- Board members receive no pay. njsba.org (opens in a new tab)
- The board hires the superintendent, adopts the school budget, and sets district policy and curriculum. The superintendent runs the schools day to day. The board does not. njsba.org (opens in a new tab)
- In the township's 2025 budget presentation, the school tax was about 68 percent of a Montgomery property-tax bill, the largest share. themontynews.org (opens in a new tab)
- That budget is the largest line on a Montgomery tax bill, and this board hires the person who runs the schools township children attend. themontynews.org (opens in a new tab)