UPDATED October 24, 2020: Remaining options if you HAVE NOT received a mail-in ballot

  1. In-person starting now til 8pm November 3rd:
    • Fill out an Application to Vote by Mail at the County Clerk
    • Then go to the County Board of Elections to get the mail-in ballot
    • Can cast your ballot there on the spot and turn it in
  2. Wait until Nov. 3rd:  go to the nearest polling place and vote with a Provisional Ballot.

DEADLINE for your ballot to count

  • If it bears a postmark, it has to be received by the county Board of Elections by November 10th.
  • does not bear a postmark or is mis-marked by USPS, it has to be received by the county Board of Elections by November 5th, 8pm.

HOW to turn in your ballot

“Vote-by-mail” is a misnomer. There are many ways for you to turn in your ballot:

  • You can drop it in the mail using your mailbox or any USPS mailbox. All mail-in ballots have prepaid postage so no stamps are needed. Note that USPS delivery delays are localized so if there is a known issue with delayed mail processing in your town, do not use this option to ensure your vote gets in on time.
  • You can drop it off at an SECURE ballot drop box. These have video cameras 24 hours a day and are weather- and tamper-proof. They are picked up directly by your county Board of Elections staffers.
  • You can deliver it yourself at several staffed locations: your local polling place on Election Day or any time prior to Election Day to your county Board of Elections. You will need to present an ID proving that you are the voter and that’s your ballot.
  • You can designate someone – the “Bearer” – to take your ballot and deliver it for you at your county Board of Elections. Any time anyone takes your ballot from you, including your spouse or children or relative, they must fill out the “Bearer” portion of your mail-in ballot. This is a security feature that assures your ballot was taken from you with your consent. Any ballots that are delivered by a Bearer without the Bearer portion filled out completely will be rejected and not counted. To be clear: a Bearer may only deliver it at your County Board of Elections and not at a polling place on Election Day.

Three voting bills were passed into law!

All three bills are signed into law by Governor Murphy on August 28, 2020 and they all work in concert to reduce voter disenfranchisement and increase voter education.
  • “VBM Education/Postmark Bill” A4320/S2633:  eliminates the requirement of a postmark if received by the Board of Elections within 48 hours of poll closed to reduce a portion of ballots rejected due to BAP (Ballots received After Polls closed).
  • Ballot Drop Box Act A4475/S2580:  at least doubles the number of secure ballot drop boxes for voters to bypass USPS delivery delays to reduce a portion of ballots rejected due to BAP (Ballots received After Polls closed).
  • Ballot Cure Act A4276/S2598:  gives voters the ability to provide a cure to their mail-in ballot.

Can I vote in person?

You can ONLY vote in-person on Election Day, November 3rd, by using a Provisional Ballot in private. A Provisional Ballot is a paper ballot that is canvassed after all mail-in ballots are canvassed and counted and looks exactly like your Mail-in Ballot. If after canvassing your Provisional Ballot and the system shows that you have NOT voted already, your Provisional Ballot will be counted, regardless of how close or uncontested the race is. ADA-Compliant voting machines will be made available only to voters with disabilities.

  • Per Executive Order 177, counties must keep a minimum of 50% of regular polling places open for Election Day.
  • Elementary and secondary schools will be closed for in-person schooling on Election Day, November 3rd, and County Boards of Elections may use these facilities as polling stations.
  • If a county cannot reach 50% minimum, the Board of Elections can use schools and large facilities to serve as large voting centers, which may have more voting districts in one polling place.

Is it safe to vote in person?

Yes! Per Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 177, all polling places must meet CDC guidelines including:

  • Maintaining a six-feet distance between all voters and poll workers.
  • Having signage to show distancing requirements
  • Requiring and making available at no charge facial coverings, gloves, hand sanitizing, and other hygiene and sanitizing materials
  • Allowing frequent hygiene breaks to poll workers
  • Requiring frequent sanitizing of high-frequency use areas
  • Denying entry to poll challengers and poll workers who refuse to wear facial coverings when there is no medical exemptions.
  • All voters voting in person shall be given a Provisional Ballot to vote, except voters with disabilities who may use an ADA-compliant voting machine.

Under the order, no voters and their accompanying person(s) will be denied the right to vote if they do not have facial coverings or refuse to wear facial coverings.

Other questions about your ballot:

  • If you haven’t received your mail-in ballot by October 9th, call your County Clerk.
  • If your ballot is ripped, torn, or otherwise damaged during mailing, call your County Clerk and ask for a replacement ballot.
  • If you do not want to use your vote-by-mail or mail-in ballot, you can vote in person at your polling station using a Provisional Ballot.

The deadline to register to vote in the 2020 General Election has passed. Be sure you are registered for the next Election in June 2020.

NEW JERSEY VOTERS CAN NOW REGISTER ONLINE! CLICK HERE: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/register

CLICK HERE: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/register

You can also print a paper form that has pre-paid postage. The following links take you directly to your prepaid postage county forms in all available languages with a sample form to show you how to register to vote, how to update your signature, and to sign up for Vote By Mail. The deadline to register is October 13th.

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