As Newark voters head to the polls Tuesday, the race centers on whether the incumbent mayor, Ras Baraka, can secure a majority to avoid a runoff against a crowded field. Baraka is seeking a fourth term in the election for chief executive of the state’s largest city, where candidates do not run under party labels because the office is nonpartisan, even though Baraka is a Democrat.
The contest comes after what the Associated Press described as an eventful 12 months for Baraka. The reelection bid is taking place almost a year after he was arrested at a protest outside a federal immigration detention center; the charges were later dropped, and Baraka sued the federal prosecutor at the time, alleging false arrest and malicious prosecution. Baraka also placed second in the Democratic primary for governor in 2024, behind then-U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who went on to win the general election.
Baraka’s challengers include artist Tanisha Garner, developer and contractor Noble Milton, community organizer Sheila Montague, community activist Debra Salters, former Newark Municipal Court administrator Nasheedah Singleton, tech entrepreneur Jhamar Youngblood, and Douglas “Rodney” Davis. Davis’s campaign platform includes ending “casual Fridays” in City Hall.
For voters, election logistics will largely shape the timing of what’s seen first in official updates. The Associated Press said polls close at 8 p.m. ET, and it will provide vote results and declare a winner only when it determines there is no scenario in which a trailing candidate could close the gap. If the race has not been called, the AP said it will continue to cover newsworthy developments such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory, while making clear it has not yet declared a winner and why.
The AP also outlined what it expects to be most relevant for early vote counts. As of Thursday, about 2,700 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, almost all of them from Democrats. In Essex County, the first vote report of the night typically includes nearly all results from early and absentee voting, with no results from in-person Election Day voting.
Looking at past turnout and how votes have been reported, the AP said there were about 159,000 registered voters in Newark in the 2025 general election and about 18,000 votes were cast in the 2022 mayoral election. The AP said about 16% of the vote in 2022 was cast before Election Day, and that for the 2025 general election the AP first reported results in Essex County at 8:06 p.m. ET—six minutes after polls closed—while the last vote update was at 10:10 p.m. ET with about 93% of total votes counted.
Timing and deadlines also extend beyond Tuesday in case no candidate wins outright. The AP said that as of Tuesday there will be 28 days until the June 9 mayoral runoff, if needed, and that if no candidate receives a majority, the top two vote-getters will advance to that runoff.
Recounts are another element voters may watch only if the race is close. The AP said recounts are very rare in New Jersey, where the state does not have automatic recounts; candidates and voters may request and pay for them, with the cost refunded if the outcome changes. The AP said it may still declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.