New Jersey has seen an increase in popular support for alternatives to the established two-party system.

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate, and Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, received 104,000 votes in the state -- only 3 percent of the total vote, but more than triple than what they tallied in 2012.

Johnson, who received nearly 3 percent of the popular vote, had his biggest gains in Hunterdon and Salem counties. Hamilton and Toms River had the largest number of votes for Johnson.

Stein, meanwhile, had more modest totals scattered throughout the state, ultimately landing slightly less than 1 percent of the vote. Her biggest towns were Jersey City, Newark and Woodbridge.

The two candidates had increased attention nationally in this election, as the divisive battle between Clinton and Trump led voters to look for other options. But each failed to capture a single electoral vote.

However, they may have played a role in the Democratic Party's declining lead in the state. Democrats lost more than 100,000 votes in this election compared to 2012, while Republicans gained roughly 60,000 -- a change that suggests third-party effects on election results.

Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.