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The 2026 general election, explained
Warren's November 3, 2026 ballot: two Township Committee seats, school board seats, county and federal races, polling places, deadlines and the county's November 18 certification.
Offices on the ballot
Warren’s ballot for November 3, 2026 lists:
| Office | Seats | How the county lists it |
|---|---|---|
| Township Committee | 2 | Full Term — Vote For Two |
| Warren Board of Education | 3 | Full Term of 3 Years — Vote For 3 |
| Watchung Hills Regional (Warren) Board of Education | 1 | Full Term of 3 Years — Vote For 1 |
| Somerset County Commissioner | 2 | Full Term — Vote For Two |
| U.S. Senate | 1 | Full Term — Vote For One |
| U.S. House of Representatives | 1 | Full Term — Vote For One |
The county candidate list also includes the non-binding Hofheimer House question. This question was filed with the County Clerk as a separate public-question document.
The Township Committee has five members. They are elected to staggered three-year terms. The two seats on this ballot are for full three-year terms.
The county list includes both the 7th and 12th District congressional contests. The records reviewed do not show which contest appears on a Warren ballot. A sample ballot would clarify this.
The three Warren Board of Education seats have three candidates. The Watchung Hills Regional (Warren) seat has two candidates for one seat. Voters in Warren’s 13 election districts receive the same county-produced ballot. The public question is on a separate sheet filed with the County Clerk. The interpretive statement appears with the question.
Township Committee candidates
The county candidate list names four candidates for the two Township Committee seats.
- William DiGrande — Democratic
- Samuel Holden — Democratic
- Shaun J. Fine — Republican
- Vanessa Kian — Republican
Fine is Mayor for 2026. Kian is Deputy Mayor. The Township Committee elected them to these positions at its reorganization meeting on January 6, 2026. Both were elected with a 5–0 vote.
The county file prints the Republican name as “Vanessa Kian” with a double space. The Township’s Committee page and the minutes print “Vanessa Kian.”
The Echoes-Sentinel reported on October 8, 2026 that Fine and Kian “are both currently serving their first terms on the committee.” TAPinto Warren’s November 2, 2026 voter guide describes the same four candidates and reports no contested race for the Warren Board of Education seats — three candidates for three seats. The Watchung Hills Regional (Warren) seat is contested: two candidates are listed for one seat.
For the school boards, the county lists Laura Keller, Stephen Toor, and Todd Weinstein for three Warren seats. Alina Bergners and Heather Trumpore are listed for the Watchung Hills Regional seat representing Warren. The ballot position drawing on August 10, 2026, places Keller first and Toor second. Weinstein is third. Bergners is listed first for her seat, and Trumpore is second.
No candidate forum, petition, or endorsement slate appears in the Township records that were reviewed for this page. No results were available when this page was written on November 2. Polls close at 8 p.m. on November 3.
Polling places and deadlines
Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Township’s Polling Locations page lists:
| Districts | Polling place |
|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3 | Mount Horeb Elementary School, 80 Mount Horeb Road |
| 4, 5, 13 | Angelo L. Tomaso Elementary School, 46 Washington Valley Road |
| 6, 7, 11 | Warren Middle School, 100 Old Stirling Road |
| 8, 9, 10 | Watchung Hills Regional High School, 108 Stirling Road |
| 12 | Warren Municipal Court, 44 Mountain Boulevard |
Dates from the Township’s Elections page:
- Mail-in ballots began mailing on September 19.
- The deadline to register to vote was October 13.
- Sample ballots were mailed on October 21.
- Early voting took place from October 24 to November 1.
- The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail was October 27.
- The last day to apply in person for a mail-in ballot at the County Clerk’s office was November 2 at 3 p.m.
- Election day is November 3, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The county clerk’s page, updated on October 31, 2026, states that no mail-in ballots can be issued after 3 p.m. on the day before the election. This is according to N.J.S.A. 19:63-3.
The Township’s election page links to the county polling-place locator for early-voting locations. This locator needs a browser. LocalWhy has not reviewed it.
Mail ballots and certification
A vote-by-mail ballot can be returned to the secure drop box at 46 Mountain Boulevard until 8 p.m. on November 3. A notice on the Township’s home page directs voters to that drop box. Mail-in ballots cannot be returned to polling places on election day. The county states that a voter who received a mail-in ballot and wants to vote in person may do so by provisional ballot.
The county clerk’s office reported that vote-by-mail ballots could no longer be mailed out. They could be picked up in person on Monday, November 2, between 8:15 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Unofficial results are posted to the county’s interactive results site after polls close at 8 p.m. on November 3. The county states that “Final certification will take place on November 18.”
The Township’s election page and the county page are the sources for these dates. The county’s 2026 general election documents folder lists the ballot drawing, candidate spreadsheets, and public-question documents.
What records do not show
- No results are available. Polls close at 8 p.m. on November 3, 2026. Certification is scheduled for November 18.
- The county’s August 10, 2026 ballot position drawing does not list a Township Committee line. The drawing includes positions for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, county commissioner, and both school boards, but not the Committee race. The records reviewed do not state whether municipal positions are drawn separately.
- The Warren sample ballot is not available. The county clerk’s page says sample ballots were mailed and links to a documents folder. The specimen ballot needs a browser. LocalWhy has not reviewed it.
- The early-voting site in Warren is not specified. The Township election page links to the county polling-place locator. That locator needs a browser and LocalWhy has not reviewed it.
- The congressional district covering Warren on this ballot is not clear.
A TAPinto Warren guide says mail-in ballots postmarked by November 3 and received by the county by November 9 count. That is the outlet’s report; the county page reviewed does not state the receipt date.