League of Women Voters alerts public to important mail-in ballot

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area is working to ensure that all voters are informed about New Jersey’s vote by mail process and are able to fully participate in the November 5, 2019 election.

Voters who applied for a vote by mail ballot for the General Election in 2016, or for any election since then will automatically receive a vote by mail ballot for the upcoming November 2019 General Election.

These voters may opt out of receiving vote by mail ballots by alerting their county clerk. County clerks are scheduled to begin sending vote by mail ballots to voters on September 21, 2019, so any voter wishing to opt out should act immediately. The election official in each county should be contacted if a change is needed:

• In Mercer County, contact the Superintendent of Elections at (609) 989-6750.
• In Middlesex County, contact the County Board of Elections at (732) 745-3471
• In Somerset County, contact the Election board at (908) 231-7084

Voters who receive vote by mail ballots have the right to either vote using that mail-in ballot or vote using a provisional ballot at their polling place. They will not be allowed to vote on the voting machine. Provisional ballots are paper ballots that are counted after a voter’s eligibility is verified. In the case of voters who received a mail-in ballot, their provisional ballots will be counted once it is verified that they did not cast a vote using the mail-in ballot.

If a voter is not scheduled to receive an automatic vote by mail ballot, but desires one for the November General Election, they must apply. The application deadline to receive a vote by mail ballot through the mail is October 29, 2019. The county clerk must receive the application by that date. Voters can also apply in person at their county clerk’s office until 3 pm, November 4, 2019.

Any other questions can be directed to your county clerk, or you may call the League’s toll -free voter information hotline, 1-800-792-VOTE (8683). From now through the close of polls on Election Day, the League of Women Voters will be running that hotline to answer any questions or assist with any problems voters might have.

###

The League of Women Voters of New Jersey is a nonpartisan political organization, founded in April 1920 as a successor to the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association. Today the League encourages informed and active participation in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy.