FAQs
Voting by Mail in 2020
Voting by mail is simple, secure and reliable. This year, voting by mail is the best way to keep you, your family, and your community safe. Team Mikie encourages you to return your ballot by mailing it back or putting it in a secure ballot drop box as soon as you receive it. If you show up at the polls on Election Day without the ballot that you received in the mail, you will be asked to fill out a paper provisional ballot, unless you are disabled in which case you will be able to vote using an ADA compliant machine. To track the status of your mail ballot, sign up here.
Starting October 5th, if you have a question about voting by mail, contact our voter protection hotline by emailing [email protected] or calling 973-370-2253.
FAQs
Q: When is Election Day?
November 3rd, 2020
Q: How do I know if I’m an active, registered voter?
You can confirm your voter registration record here.
Q: How will I get a ballot for the 2020 general election?
All active, registered voters in the state of New Jersey will receive a ballot in the mail for the 2020 general election. Ballots will be mailed to voters by October 5th. The ballot you receive in the mail is the one you should use to vote this year. If you show up at the polls on Election Day without the ballot that you received in the mail, you will be asked to fill out a paper provisional ballot unless you are disabled in which case you will be able to vote using an ADA compliant machine. If you are not an active, registered voter, you can register to vote here and you can apply to receive a mail ballot using the links below:
Q: How can I return my ballot?
Ballots should be returned to your county’s Board of Elections — NOT your county clerk. The best way to return your ballot is to mail it back using the envelope provided — which comes with prepaid first class postage and is correctly addressed — or deposit it in a secure ballot drop box in your county.
For a list of all secure ballot drop boxes in your county look below:
Passaic: http://bit.ly/PassaicDropBox
Essex: http://bit.ly/EssexDropBox
Morris: http://bit.ly/MorrisDropBox
Sussex: http://bit.ly/SussexDropBox
If you show up at the polls on Election Day without the ballot that you received in the mail, you will be asked to fill out a paper provisional ballot, unless you are disabled in which case you will be able to vote using an ADA compliant machine. If you show up to a polling location on Election Day with the ballot that you received in the mail, you can hand it to a poll worker and it will be counted.
Q: How can I make sure that my ballot is counted?
To ensure that your ballot is counted, follow these steps:
1. Once you have filled out your ballot completely, place your ballot in the certificate envelope and seal it. Do not detach the certificate.
2. Sign the certification where indicated.
3. Put the certificate envelope in the outer envelope—the one with the return postage on it—and seal that.
4. If it’s close to Election Day, return your ballot by depositing it in a secure ballot drop box rather than by mail so you can be sure it’ll get to the Board of Elections on time. Otherwise, you can just put it in the mail.
5. Sign up to track the status of your ballot here.
Q: Where will my polling location be?
This year, voting by mail is the best way to keep you, your family, and your community safe. Team Mikie strongly encourages you to mail back your ballot or deposit it in a secure ballot drop box as soon as you receive it. If you show up at the polls on Election Day without the ballot that you received in the mail, you will be asked to fill out a paper provisional ballot, unless you are disabled in which case you will be able to vote using an ADA compliant machine.
If you show up to a polling location on Election Day with the ballot that you received in the mail, you can hand it to a poll worker and it will be counted. Many polling locations that are normally open will be closed this year.
Essex County polling locations
Morris County polling locations
Passaic County polling locations
Sussex County polling locations
Q: What should I do if I haven’t received my ballot?
All ballots must be mailed out to active, registered voters in early October. If you are an active, registered voter and you have still not received your ballot, you must fill out a form to request an additional mail-in ballot. Because the deadline has passed to request a mail-in ballot, the form must be delivered to your County Clerk in person during regular business hours. You may deliver it yourself or through a messenger (friend, family member, etc.). You or your messenger will be given your mail-in ballot when the form is submitted. Please be advised that Essex County also has an additional form for a second ballot request.
Essex County Form 1 (Office open 8:30 AM- 4:00 PM, M-F)
Morris County Form (Office open 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, M-F)
Passaic County Form (Office open 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, M-F)
Sussex County Form (Office open 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, M-F)
Your completed mail-in ballot can be submitted at any secure drop box in your county no later than 8:00 PM on Election Day (November 3).
If you are unable to deliver the request form and pick up and drop off your ballot in person or by messenger to your county’s Board of Elections, please check your polling location here and vote by paper provisional ballot on November 3rd. Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Q: What should I do if my ballot arrives damaged?
If your ballot arrives damaged, you should contact your county clerk who can get you a new ballot. Contact info for your county clerk can be found below:
Essex Clerk: [email protected]
Morris Clerk: 973-285-6120
Passaic Clerk: (973) 225-3690
Sussex Clerk: (973) 579-0900
Q: Can I bring another person’s ballot to a drop box, mail box, or post office?
You are allowed to bring up to 3 ballots total (including your own) to a drop box, mail box, or post office in any election. If you bring another person’s ballot to a drop box, mail box, or post office, you must fill out and sign the “bearer” portion of the outer envelope—the one with the Board of Election address and pre-paid postage on it.
Q: Where can I find a sample ballot?
Sample ballots for NJ-11 counties can be found below: