Election Day 2023 In NJ: Voter Guide, How To Report Problems

NEW JERSEY— Officials assured New Jersey voters they are on guard against voter intimidation and any election fraud ahead of Tuesday, when people in all 40 legislative districts will decide who will represent them at the statehouse, on the local school board, at township council, and more.

The basics - hours and what's at stake

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. And while this may be considered an "off year" with no governor's race or presidential candidates to consider, voters have a number of decisions to make closer to home.

All 40 of New Jersey’s legislative districts have elections this year for state Senate and General Assembly seats — responsible for making laws at the state level. Democrats hold a 25 to 15 majority in the state Senate, and a 46 to 34 majority in the state Assembly.

A full list of state Senate and General Assembly candidates is on the state’s website.

There will also be elections at the county, local, and school level, including commissioner races, town council races, and school board races. Click here to see a sample ballot for your address.

Mail-in ballots must be dropped off or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day. As of Tuesday morning, 545,000 New Jersey residents already cast their votes by mail-in ballot, absentee ballot, or by voting early, according to the Associated Press.

• Am I registered to vote?
• Where can I drop off my ballot?
• Track my mail-in ballot.
• Where can I vote in person on Election Day?

Security precautions and how to report voter fraud or rights violations

New Jersey's Election Security Coordination Task Force works with local municipalities throughout the year to protect the state's elections infrastructure, supporting county election offices to make sure voting runs smoothly.

This includes working with the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to guard against any cyber-attacks or other threats to the election system.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the state Voter Protection Initiative will focus on voting rights or civil rights violations that may arise during early voting or on Election Day. This includes being harassed, threatened, and intimidated at a polling place, or denied the right to vote.

"We remain committed to ensuring that our elections are free and fair, and that every eligible voter has an opportunity to cast a ballot,” he said.

Any person who believes their right to vote has been interfered with, or who wants to report other voting-related problems or concerns, can call the State’s Voter Information and Assistance line toll-free at 1-877-NJVOTER (1-877-658-6837) or click here.

Voters who feel they have faced discrimination or harassment can also file a report with the Division on Civil Rights online or call call 1-800-277-BIAS (1-800-277-2427).

Election workers exiting around the nation

A rise in threats and intimidation have pushed experienced election workers to quit or retire at a worrying rate, officials in several key battleground states warned ahead of the general election and next year’s presidential race.

The false claims of a rigged 2020 presidential election have fueled a rise in harassment, threats, and online “doxing” of both paid election officials and temporary poll workers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In response, 11 states have enacted laws since 2020 that specifically address protections for election officials and poll workers, according to the NCSL. New Jersey is not among them.

Election watchdogs are calling for more federal funding, and to extend a federal law that criminalizes the release of restricted personal information about federal workers to cover election officials.

Both Democratic and Republican election workers across the country have been the targets of “threats and abusive conduct,” said U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committe chair Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

In Arizona, for example, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said someone poisoned the dogs of one county election chief as an intimidation tactic.

“We don’t feel safe in our work because of the harassment and threats that are based in lies,” Fontes said.

Al Schmidt, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, told a U.S. Senate committee last week that county election directors or assistant directors in 40 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties have left their positions since 2020.

In his testimony, Schmidt pointed to a 2021 survey of election officials, which found that one in three officials felt unsafe because of their job. Nearly one in five officials identified threats to their lives as a job-related concern.

Schmidt, a Republican, said he is one of the election officials who, after the 2020 election, began to receive threats of violence against himself and his family.

“Now, as a statewide election official, I see the broader effects and consequences of those threats, including high turnover among experienced local election staff and the need for robust training efforts resulting from that turnover,” he said.

Schmidt said the difficulty in retaining election workers and recruiting new ones is “one of the biggest challenges” in running elections. And, if experienced officials are retiring or quitting, they leave less experienced workers in charge who are more likely to make a mistake - which may further fuel conspiracy theories.

“(We need) better funding of elections in general and grants specifically appropriated to secure election offices and operations,” said Schmidt. “Our local election officials deserve to feel safe. And we need a continued commitment to prosecute individuals who threaten election officials. Their threats are a direct attack on democracy.”