Judge Orders Counting of 1,900 Early-Opened Mail Ballots in New Jersey

The ruling impacts the Democratic primary in Atlantic County, where a narrow margin separates the leading candidates.

Superior Court Judge Michael J. Blee ruled the ballots should be counted to maximize voter participation.
The early opening of the ballots was deemed an inadvertent, though inexcusable, error.
The decision could influence the outcome of the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.
Republicans and Democrats disagreed on whether the ballots should be accepted, leading to the court case.
Election officials testified that the ballots were not tampered with despite the early opening.