Polls are open for N.J.’s huge primary election for governor. Here’s what you need to know.

It’s finally here, New Jersey. Polls are open for one of the state’s most wild and competitive elections in years: the primary for governor.

Eleven candidates — six Democrats and five Republicans — are running for the major-party nominations to become the Garden State’s next leader. The winners will run against each other in the November general election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, determining whether Democrats keep the seat or Republicans win it back.

The heated Democratic primary is the big one to watch, with polls showing a tight race and a path for pretty much any of the six candidates to win. The five-man Republican primary has also been heated but isn’t considered as close.

There are also several local elections, including for the nominations to run for all 80 seats in the state Assembly.

Here’s what you need to know:

WHEN ARE POLLS OPEN?

Polls across New Jersey are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you are allowed to vote. The same goes for if you’re dropping off a vote-by-mail ballot in a dropbox. The dropboxes are locked at 8 p.m., but if there’s a line at that time you’ll be able to drop your ballot in the box.

WHO CAN VOTE?

Registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their party’s primary in New Jersey. And unaffiliated registered voters can take part by walking into a polling station and asking for either a Democratic or Republican ballot. You can pick only one.

That, however, means you’re now a member of that party unless you later re-register as an unaffiliated voter or a member of another political party.

And just to be clear: Registered Republicans cannot vote in the Democratic primary and vice-versa.

Check here to see if you’re registered to vote.

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WHO’S ON THE BALLOT?

GOVERNOR: Six Democrats and five Republicans are running for their party’s nominations to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who will leave office in January. Under the state constitution, Murphy can’t run for a third consecutive term as governor.

The Democrats are: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.

The Republicans are: contractor Justin Barbera, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, and former radio host Bill Spadea.

The winners will square off in the Nov. 4 general election for a four-year term. The governorship is considered one of the country’s most powerful, with the ability to approve state laws and the state budget, while appointing the state’s attorney general, judges, and more.

New Jersey is one of only two states with a governor’s race this year, along with Virginia. And it’s considered an early barometer on President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House. It’s also expected to be a referendum on Murphy’s eight years in the governor’s office. Democrats will be trying to break a 64-year trend: No party has won three straight terms in the governor’s office here since 1961.

Meanwhile, this is the Garden State’s first gubernatorial primary since the elimination of the “county line,” a controversial system in which candidates backed by county party leaders received top primary ballot placement — something critics said long helped party bosses predetermine nominees. A judge tossed it last year, which could even the playing field and is a big reason why there are so many serious contenders this year.

Polls show the Democratic primary is much closer, though Sherrill has led in most. Jack Ciattarelli has been ahead by double digits in all surveys in the Republican primary.

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The Democratic race has largely been a tug of war between the party’s more moderate and progressive wings.

Sherrill, a more moderate candidate, has the backing of a wide array of top Democrats and county party leaders. Fulop and Baraka are running in the progressive lane. Fulop — who launched his campaign more than two years ago — has promised to combat the establishment and reform government, Baraka has vowed to bring more equity, social justice, and unabashed Trump opposition. Baraka also drew attention after getting arrested by federal officials on trespassing charges at an immigrant detention facility, though the case was later dropped.

Gottheimer is a moderate with a focus on cutting taxes. Sweeney is also a centrist and is hoping to get a boost as the only contender from his native South Jersey. Spiller says he’ll fight to help working-class residents and is notably backed by nearly $40 million in outside spending from the teacher’s union he leads. All of the candidates are promising to stand up to Trump and make the state more affordable.

On the Republican side, most — but not all — of the candidates have praised Trump. Ciattarelli, who came close to ousting Murphy in the 2021 governor’s race, and Spadea spent months battling over Trump’s endorsement. Barbera and Kranjac are also pro-Trump. The president ultimately backed Ciattarelli. Bramnick is running as a moderate willing to criticize Trump. All of the contenders have promised to cut taxes and spending and overhaul education.

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The primary has also been mighty expensive. The $122.5 million spent between contenders and outside groups already makes this the most expensive state election in New Jersey history, according to the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Watch our on-camera interviews with all 11 candidates. Ask questions about them and their platforms in our “Election Chat” tool. And read where they stand on four key issues: cutting property taxes, working with Trump, immigration enforcement, and education.

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ASSEMBLY: All 80 seats are up for grabs in the Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. That’s the governing body in Trenton that writes the state’s laws and passes the state budget. And the primary will determine the Democratic and Republican nominees to run this fall for two seats in each of the state’s legislative districts.

Thanks in part to the death of the county line, there’s an unusually highs number of primary challenges all over the map. Dozens of contenders aligned with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop are trying to unseat incumbents and other party-backed candidates.

WHAT IS MY LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT?

The governor primary is statewide race decided by voters throughout the state. But for the Assembly races, voters get to choose only the nominees in the district where they live. Click here to see your district.

HOW CAN I VOTE?

You can either vote in person on traditional machines or drop off a mail ballot at your county’s Board of Elections office or one of the hundreds of drop boxes across the state by 8 p.m.

But it’s important to remember that mail-in-ballots need to be put in boxes located within the county where you’re registered to vote. If you drop yours off in a box outside of where you’re registered — maybe because you see a dropbox on your commute to work — your vote will most likely not be counted, election officials have warned.

Here’s a complete list of drop box locations. If you have questions, check your county website.

After returning a ballot, you can check on its status at the state’s Track My Ballot website.

WHERE IS MY POLLING PLACE?

Your polling place is assigned based on your address. Click here and plug in your address to find where you vote.

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WHAT IF THERE’S A PROBLEM AT THE POLLS?

The New Jersey Secretary of State serves as the state’s chief election official. If you have concerns about voting and elections, call the state Division of Elections’ voting information and assistance line at 877-NJVOTER (877-658-6837).

Separately, the state Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability investigates public corruption and election crimes. To report a potential crime, call 844-OPIA-TIPS. The Attorney General’s Office has an anti-corruption reward program that will offer a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption. For more details, click here.

WHERE CAN I FIND RESULTS?

There will be full results and coverage of key races on NJ.com after the polls close.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Jelani Gibson contributed to this report.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @johnsb01.