Middlesex County Encourages Vote By Mail For July 7 Primary

Middlesex County elected officials are encouraging residents to vote by mail for the upcoming primary election, pushed back to July 7 due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The vote-by-mail drive is led by Middlesex County Clerk Elaine Flynn, a Democrat, and the elected county Board of Freeholders, who say the goal of the initiative "is to promote safety during COVID-19 while still exercising one’s right to vote."

In previous years, Middlesex County has mailed Vote By Mail applications in August for the general election. With the COVID-19 pandemic drastically impacting almost every aspect of life for voters, the County has committed to sending applications for the primary in order to encourage safe and responsible participation in the election.

New Jersey law states that any registered voter is eligible to apply for the Vote By Mail program, for any reason and for any election. In order to vote in this year’s Primary Election on July 7 residents simply complete a Vote By Mail application arriving in early May and return it to the County Clerk’s office no later than seven days prior to an election date.

No postage is required; the application and the ballot envelope that voters receive will be prepaid. Once the Clerk’s Office receives the application, a ballot is sent to the resident for the election. Once a Vote By Mail ballot is completed and submitted, the vote is counted, eliminating the need to visit polls during this crisis.

“Your vote is your voice and is one that can be exercised regardless of the current crisis. Applying for a Vote by Mail application now means that none of us has to anticipate whether social distancing requirements will be lifted in time for us to vote in person at the polls this July,” said Middlesex County Clerk Flynn.

“The Board of Chosen Freeholders encourages all our residents to be heard while staying safe this voting season by signing up for Vote By Mail. Our County’s program is among the most accessible in the State –we mail the application and we also include the postage for the application and the ballot at no cost to our residents. In this way, Middlesex County is enabling more people to vote while remaining in the comfort of their homes,” said Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios.

All Middlesex County Voters who are not currently registered to receive Vote by Mail ballots will be receiving an application in the mail in the coming weeks. To receive a ballot for this July’s Primary Election, the application must be received by June 30, 2020.

If residents have any questions regarding Middlesex County’s Vote By Mail initiative, please call the Elections Division of the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office at 732-745-4202 or visit the website at www.middlesexcountynj.gov and search County Clerk Elections.

For more information and resources on COVID-19, please visit Middlesexcountynj.gov/covid19