With one exception, turnout in Essex is up in this strange, COVID-19 vote-by-mail election year, according to Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin.

Montclair, Belleville and Nutley are all way up as voters consider their local nonpartisan candidates.

Irvington (municipal elections and school baord elections) and Newark (school board) have already exceeded past like-elections.

Orange – 3,074 votes as of today – is the only one with a scheduled VBM election deadline today that lags behind like-elections from four years ago.