• Yes, online voter registration (OVR) is now available in New Jersey. You can register here! You can register using your driver’s license, other MVC-issued ID number or the last four digits of your social security number and sign electronically.  
• The deadline to register for the April 25 school board election is April 4, 2023. 

• The deadline to register for the November 8 General Election is October 18, 2022. 

Yes. As of March 17, 2020, New Jersey citizens on parole and probation are able to register and vote in all elections. No fees or restitution must be paid before being permitted to vote. This law does not apply to people who are currently incarcerated.

• Yes. There will be early in-person voting for the November 8 election.  The early voting period will be from October 29 – November 6. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.  The locations will be provided here. 

• There will be early in-person voting for the November 8 election.  The early voting period will be from October 29 – November 6. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.  The locations will be provided here.  
• You can also vote early by vote-by-mail. For the November 8 General Election, the postmark deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail is November 1 and the in-person application deadline is November 7 by 3 p.m. To cast your vote-by-mail ballot, complete one of the following:  
• • Mail your vote-by-mail ballot through the U.S. Postal Service, postmarked by November 8.   
  • Hand deliver your vote-by-mail ballot to a secure drop box by 8 p.m. on November 8.   
  • Hand deliver your vote-by-mail ballot to a county board of elections by 8 p.m. on November 8.  

• There will be in-person voting for the November 8 election.  The early voting period will be from October 29 – November 6. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.   The locations will be provided here.  

• Yes, all registered voters may vote at any early voting site. They simply have to show up during early voting hours to vote. You can find the designated early voting locations in your county here. 
• Registered voters may vote at any early voting location in their county of residence, but only a location in their own county. 

• You can vote at any early voting site located in your country of residence. You can find the designated early voting locations in your county here. 

• No, unless they are already on the default vote-by-mail list, voters will not be automatically sent a vote-by-mail ballot without a request. However, every registered voter is eligible to receive a vote-by-mail ballot by applying for one.  When filling out your application you can signify if you want to be placed on the default vote-by-mail list going forward (wherein you will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for all future elections).  To confirm whether you are on the default list, please call your county clerk. 

• You can find the vote-by-mail application here. The application must be returned to your county clerk by the below listed deadlines.  
• For the November 8 General Election, the postmark deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail is November 1 and the in-person application deadline is November 7 by 3 p.m. The deadline to either drop off or postmark the actual vote-by-mail ballot is November 8.   

• Yes, postage is needed for vote-by-mail applications and ballots for most counties. While some counties provide pre-paid postage, most do not. 

Nothing. In New Jersey, the term “absentee ballot” was replaced with the term “vote-by-mail ballot” by law in 2009. This allowed for New Jersey voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot for any reason. This year, all active, registered voters will be mailed a ballot without having to apply. 

There will be at least 10 readily accessible secure ballot drop box locations per county. Find ballot drop box locations here. A drop box is a secure, locked structure operated by election officials where voters may deliver their ballots from the time they receive them in the mail up to the time polls close on Election Day. Drop boxes are accessible 24/7 and have video surveillance for security.

You can use any ballot drop box in your county to drop off your ballot. You do not have to use the one that is closest to you or even one in your own town. You do have to use a drop box in your own county, however. Find ballot drop box locations here.

All valid vote-by-mail ballots will be counted. Be sure to carefully follow all the vote-by-mail instructions and sign the certification envelope when you return your ballot.

Your county board of elections is responsible for counting all paper ballots including vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots. If you have any questions, you should reach out to them.

You can track your ballot online by setting up a public access account on the Secretary of State’s website. To set up an account, you will be asked to provide your driver’s license number, last four digits of Social Security number or Voter ID number. The system compares that to your voter file to verify your account. If your file does not contain some of that information, you may have some trouble creating an account. You can find your Voter ID number here. When you type in your information to check your registration status, the site will also provide you with your Voter ID number. You can use that to create a public access account to track your ballot. You can also track your ballot by calling 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837) to find out if your ballot was counted. If your ballot was not counted, you can find out why it was rejected. 

You must either mail, use a dropbox or hand deliver your vote-by-mail ballot to your county board’s office.

If you drop off someone else’s ballot, you become a “bearer.” A bearer is a person who transports a completed vote-by-mail ballot for someone else. Bearers are limited to three ballots per election generally or five if they are members of the ballots of from family members in the same household. Any additional ballots will be discarded and not counted. The bearer must sign the bearer portion of the outer envelope of the ballot in the presence of the voter when taking custody of the ballot. Bearers are only permitted to deliver other people’s ballots to the county board of elections, secure ballot drop boxes and USPS mailboxes (subject to the same deadlines as the voters themselves). When delivering a ballot in person to the county, the bearer must show ID and sign the county’s Bearer Book. 

• If you are a registered voter, your vote-by-mail ballot should not be rejected as long as it is properly cast and received on time.  
• For the November 8 General Election, ballots must be postmarked by November 8 and must be received by the county board of elections by November 14.  To ensure your vote-by-mail ballot is not late, you can either drop your vote-by-mail ballot off at a secure drop box location or at your county board of elections office or at your polling place on Election Day.  
• Vote-by-mail ballots that are returned without the attached certificate will be rejected. Please be careful not to detach that portion of the ballot and follow all instructions. If needed, you can request a replacement ballot from your county board of elections.  
• If your signature is missing or if it does not match the signature on your voter file, the county board of elections may tentatively reject your ballot. However, there is now a procedure in place to ensure your ballot still counts! If your ballot is tentatively rejected because of a signature issue, the county will mail you a “cure letter” within 24 hours of their review. Please watch out for it in the mail! The cure letter will include a cure form allowing you to verify your ballot. You will have to verify your identity by providing your driver’s license number, the last four digits of your social security number or a state-accepted ID – such as an official document that lists your name and address, or a utility or telephone bill or tax or rent receipt. You must sign and date the form. You will have until 48 hours before the election certification date to return the form to your county board of election, either in person, by fax, by email or by mail (mail has to be received by the certification date, not just postmarked). For the November 8 election, the cure letter must be received by November 19 (48 hours before the certification date).  

• In order to ensure that you are the person who sent in your ballot, your signature is compared to the signature in your voter file. If your signature is missing or if it does not match the signature on your voter file, the county board of elections may tentatively reject your ballot. However, there is now a procedure in place to ensure your ballot still counts.  
• If your ballot is tentatively rejected because of a signature issue, the county will mail you a cure letter within 24 hours of their review. The cure letter will include a cure form allowing you to verify your ballot. You will have to verify your identity by providing your driver’s license number, the last four digits of your social security number or a state-accepted ID – such as an official document that lists your name and address, or a utility or telephone bill or tax or rent receipt. You must sign and date the form. You will have until 48 hours before the election certification date to return the form to your county board of election, either in person, by fax, by email or by mail (mail has to be received by the certification date, not just postmarked). For the November 8 election, the cure letter must be received by November 19 (48 hours before the certification date).  

• For the November 8 General Election, eligible voters will be able to vote in person using a machine. You can look up your polling place online here or by calling the Election Protection Hotline at 1.866.OUR.VOTE or the New Jersey Division of Elections at 1-877-NJ-VOTER. .   
• There will be in-person voting for the November 8 election.  The early voting period will be from October 29 – November 6. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.  The locations will be provided here.  
• Please contact your local municipal clerk’s office to confirm whether your town has adopted early voting.  

A provisional ballot is cast by a voter whose eligibility to vote cannot be confirmed at the polls on Election Day. If, after the election, it is determined that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was eligible to vote, the ballot will be counted.

• A provisional ballot is cast by a voter whose eligibility to vote cannot be confirmed at the polls on Election Day. If, after the election, it is determined that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was eligible to vote, the ballot will be counted. 
• Just like vote-by-mail ballots, all valid provisional ballots will be counted. Be sure to carefully follow all the provisional ballot instructions when casting your ballot.  
• Your county board of elections is responsible for counting all paper ballots including vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots. If you have any questions, you should reach out to them.  
• Just like with vote-by-mail ballots, in order to ensure that you are the person who voted by provisional ballot, your signature is compared to the signature in your voter file. If your signature is missing or if it does not match the signature on your voter file, the county board of elections may tentatively reject your ballot. However, there is now a procedure in place to ensure your ballot still counts!  
• If your ballot is tentatively rejected because of a signature issue, the county will mail you a cure letter within 24 hours of their review. The cure letter will include a cure form allowing you to verify your ballot. You will have to verify your identity by providing your driver’s license number, the last four digits of your social security number or a state-accepted ID – such as an official document that lists your name and address, or a utility or telephone bill or tax or rent receipt. You must sign and date the form. You will have until 48 hours before the election certification date to return the form to your county board of election, either in person, by fax, by email or by mail (mail has to be received by the certification date, not just postmarked). For the November 8 election, the cure letter must be received by November 19 (48 hours before the certification date).  

• For the November 8 General Election, eligible voters will be able to vote in person using a machine. You can look up your polling place online here or by calling the Election Protection Hotline at 1.866.OUR.VOTE or the New Jersey Division of Elections at 1-877-NJ-VOTER.

You can track your ballot online by setting up a public access account on the Secretary of State’s website. To set up an account, you will be asked to provide your driver’s license number, last four digits of Social Security number or Voter ID number. The system compares that to your voter file to verify your account. If your file does not contain some of that information, you may have some trouble creating an account. You can find your Voter ID number here. When you type in your information to check your registration status, the site will also provide you with your Voter ID number. You can use that to create a public access account to track your ballot. You can also track your ballot by calling 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837) to find out if your ballot was counted. If your ballot was not counted, you can find out why it was rejected. 

• You can look up your polling place online here or by calling the Election Protection Hotline at 1.866.OUR.VOTE or the New Jersey Division of Elections at 1-877-NJ-VOTER. You can find a statewide list of polling places broken down by county here. The polling places will be open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. You have the right to vote if you are in line or inside the polling place when the polls close. 

• New Jersey law does not require voters to present a photo ID before being able to vote. However, if you did not provide identification when you registered to vote (e.g., your driver’s license number, non-driver identification number or the last four digits of your social security number), or the county commissioner was unable to verify your identification information, you must show some form of identification at the polling place when you go to vote. Acceptable forms of ID include but are not limited to: any current and valid photo ID, such as a New Jersey Driver’s License, military or government ID, student or job ID, store membership card or US passport; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, car registration, government check, rent receipt or other official document that contains the name and address of the voter.
• If you don’t have any of these forms of ID, you may still cast a provisional ballot. However, you must submit a copy of your ID to your county board of elections before the close of business on the second day after the election for your ballot to be counted. 

• Confirm that you are at the correct polling place and ask the poll worker to double-check the voter list. If the poll worker still cannot find your name and you are sure you are registered and in the correct polling place, you are still entitled to cast a provisional ballot. The county board of elections will verify your registration. If you are registered, your ballot will count. You can also check your registration status online here or by calling the Election Protection Hotline at 1.866.OUR.VOTE. 

Voters with disabilities and voters who are visually impaired or unable to read and write may receive assistance in voting. The voter may choose anyone to assist them, except for their employer, an agent of their employer, an officer of their union or an agent of their union. 

Yes, sample ballots will be mailed to all registered voters prior to the election.

• The “party line” or “the Line” is often discussed in New Jersey. Most county parties organize their ballots around party line, wherein the county branches of both major parties list their endorsed candidates in a vertical column or horizontal row. The format puts candidates not on the party line at a disadvantage because whoever ends up on the line with the most well-known candidate often wins. Other candidates are placed on other lines, sometimes far away from the main line, minimizing visibility.  There is pending litigation challenging this practice. It is important to note that you do not have to vote for someone who is on the same “line” as the person above them or at the top of the ticket. Each race can and should be considered separately.  

• No. Twenty one states plus D.C. allow voters to register to vote on the same day that they cast their ballot – up to and on Election Day.  New Jersey is not one of them.  Therefore, everyone must register by the October 18 deadline in order to vote in the General Election.   
• Take Action here to tell elected officials to support S247/A1966 – same-day registration in New Jersey!   

• Redistricting is the process of redrawing our political boundaries (or voting districts) for state and federal representation. This process happens once every 10 years. That means these political boundaries will be used for the next decade. Having your district fairly represent your community is essential for ensuring you get the representation you deserve. These lines are drawn based on input from advocates, other interested parties and (most importantly) people like you – but only if you make your voice heard. 

• Voting districts are boundaries that define who represents you at the state and federal levels. For example, New Jersey has 40 legislative districts at the state level--each district has one State Senator and two Assembly Members that represent voters in Trenton. At the federal level, New Jersey has 12 congressional districts--voters in each district elect one Representative to represent them in Washington, DC. 

• You might. After the census, we redraw our congressional and state legislative maps so that we have districts of equal population—one person, one vote. To see in detail if and how your district has changed, use the district look-up tool.

• If you have a question about your registration, contact the county Commissioner of Registration or the Superintendent of Elections.
• If you have a question about receiving your vote-by-mail ballot, contact your county clerk. 
• If you have questions about your polling place or the status of your ballot after you have voted, contact your county board of elections. 
• Alternatively, for all of the above, or for any other questions, you can call the state hotline: 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837). 
• If you encounter any problems voting by any method, call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) as soon as possible so someone can assist you.  
• Contact us at [email protected].