Primary day is here for 18 northeastern New Jersey municipalities deciding who will fill out the term for the 10th Congressional District seat of the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr.

Eleven Democrats and one Republican are seeking their respective parties’ nominations to run in a special general election Sept. 18. That winner will represent the district until the new Congress takes office Jan. 3.

A separate election for the next term thereafter will take place on Nov. 5.

Only those already registered can vote in this special primary. New Jersey has a closed primary system, so registered partisans must vote for a candidate of their party. Unaffiliated voters can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary by declaring a party at a polling location.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the usual polling sites. Registered voters can find their polling location on the sample ballot they should have received or by using the state’s online polling locator.

Voter turnout

A big question is how many people will go to the polls on a hot July day when the only seat on the ballot is in a special congressional primary. As of Monday morning, about 10,500 people had voted early in person or via mail-in ballot. The district has about 501,000 registered voters.

In the state’s last special primary, a statewide contest for a U.S. Senate seat following the death of Democrat Frank Lautenberg in 2013, about 9% of all registered voters — or 17% of Democrats and Republicans — voted in an August election. That was comparable to the turnout in the regular June primary, where essentially uncontested governor’s races topped balloting.

Last month, about 15% of all residents, or 22% of registered voters, cast ballots, a typically higher turnout with the presidential candidates on the ballot.

The 10th District is the most strongly Democratic district in the state, with more than 54% of all registrants identifying as Democrats and the Democratic primary is likely to pick the eventual winner.

Carmen Bucco is the only Republican on the special primary ballot. He also won the regular June primary for a two-year term in Congress representing the district beginning Jan. 3.

Payne represented the district from November 2012 until his death April 24 following a heart attack. He had succeeded his father, Donald Payne Sr., who also died in office.

Under state law, Democratic committee members from towns in the district will choose who replaces him on the November ballot for a full two-year term in the next Congress, with a party convention to pick that nominee expected next month.

Democratic candidates

Eleven Democrats have filed to run in the special primary. They are:

• Linden Mayor Derek Armstead;
• Brittany Claybrooks of East Orange;
• Jersey City school teacher John J. Flora;
• Darryl Godfrey of Newark;
• Alberta Gordon, a strategy consultant and data engineer from Newark;
• Eugene D. Mazo, a Newark law professor;
• Newark Council President LaMonica McIver;
• Shana Melius of Secaucus;
• Sheila Montague, a Newark educator and district leader; and
• Debra L. Salters, an educator from Newark;
• Jerry Walker of Jersey City.

Voting how-to

NJ Spotlight News’ voter guide has information about the district and the candidates, where available. Our elections page also includes information about how to check your voter registration, find your polling place and more.

The municipalities that make up the district are: Caldwell, East Orange, Essex Fells, Irvington, Orange, Verona, West Orange and parts of Montclair and Newark in Essex County; part of Jersey City in Hudson County; and Cranford, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Roselle, Roselle Park, Union and part of Linden in Union County.

NJ Spotlight News will have live election results tonight after the polls close.

Two independent candidates, Rayfield Morton of Orange and Russell Jenkins of Maplewood, have filed to run in the September special general election. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16.