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New Jersey

Upcoming Election Dates & Registration Deadlines

Some elections in this list are local and do not apply for all New Jersey voters. Please click the “View all” button below to view all election dates in your state.

Next Election: Municipal
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
School Elections
Atlantic County: Port Republic Bergen County: Cliffside Park, Fairview, Lodi Essex County: Irvington, Newark Hudson County: North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York Middlesex County: Monroe Twp, New Brunswick Morris County: East Hanover Passaic County: City of Passaic, Totowa Sussex County: Byram T... View details

Registration Deadlines

Tuesday, March 26, 2024
By Mail (postmarked)
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
In Person
Tuesday, March 26, 2024

04

Jun
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Primary
Presidential Primary & State Primary

05

Nov
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
General

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New Jersey Voting Information

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee voting is available and no excuse is required. In New Jersey, absentee ballots are called mail-in or vote-by-mail ballots. The last day to request a mail-in ballot through the mail is 7 days before the election. The last day to request a mail-in ballot in-person is 3 pm the day before the election.  If returning your Mail-In Ballot in person it must be received by your County Board of Elections before close of polls on Election Day. If returning your Mail-In Ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by your County Board of Elections no later than 144 hours (6 days) after the time of the closing of the polls for the election. You can track your ballot on the NJ DOS website!

Requesting and Returning your Mail-in Ballot

You may apply for a vote by mail ballot by completing an vote by mail ballot application and mailing the application to your county clerk. The application must be received by the County Clerk seven days before the election. 

You may also apply in person to the county clerk until 3:00 p.m. the day before the election. 

The County Clerk cannot accept faxed copies of a vote by mail ballot application unless you are a Military or Overseas voter, since an original signature is required. 

Voters do not need to provide a copy of their ID in order to cast a vote- by-mail ballot except under certain circumstances for first time voters. These voters will receive a notice with their vote-by-mail ballot.

If returning your Mail-In Ballot in person it must be received by your County Board of Elections or placed in a secure ballot drop-box before close of polls on Election Day. If returning your Mail-In Ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by your County Board of Elections no later than 144 hours (6 days) after the time of the closing of the polls for the election. 

Permanent Mail-in Ballot List

To become a Permanent Mail-in Ballot Voter, simply check the appropriate box on the Absentee Ballot Application indicating that you wish to receive your ballot by mail in all future elections. 

Voting in Person after Requesting an Absentee Ballot

If you requested a Mail-In Ballot but wish to vote at the polls on Election Day you may request an Opt-Out Form from your county clerk. If mail-in ballots have already been mailed for the election, you will not be able to vote on a machine at the polls. 

Additional Information

If you have any questions, you can call 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837). 

Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request a vote by mail ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Campaign Finance Information

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.

Candidate and Ballot Measure Information

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.

 

Drop Boxes

Secure ballot drop box locations can be found here. All locations are open 24 hours a day and until 8pm on election day unless noted.

Early Voting

Early voting is allowed and no excuse is required. This option allows registered voters to cast their ballot in person, using a voting machine, during a three-day period before the Primary Election and a nine-day period before the November General Election. A list of early voting sites is available here. Voters can select any site in their county. 

Election Dates

The next election date can be found here https://www.vote411.org/new-jersey.

Contact your local Board of Elections for more information.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to vote you must be:

  • A United States citizen
  • 17 years old, but must be 18 in order to vote in an election
  • A resident of the county for 30 days before the election

Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens: 

In New Jersey, you only lose your right to vote if you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. If you lost your voting rights because of a conviction, you could register to vote immediately after release. Your voting rights are not restricted by pretrial detention, misdemeanors, probation, or parole. 

Voters without traditional residence: 

In New Jersey, if you reside at a location that has not been assigned a street address or you are experiencing homelessness, you may complete section 8 of the voter registration form by providing a contact point or the location where you spend most of your time. This can be a description of a street corner, park, shelter, or any other place where you usually stay. The mailing address on your registration form can be a PO box, local shelter, advocacy organization, outreach center, or the home of someone who will accept mail for you. 

ID Needed for Voter Registration

If you registered to vote by mail in your county after January 1, 2003 and have never voted in a federal election in the county, you are required to provide your county commissioner of registration with identification. If you registered by mail before January 1, 2003, you are not required to show identification to register.

If you did not provide identification to the county commissioner of registration or if the identification information could not be verified (i.e., your drivers license number or the last four digits of your social security number), you must show ID at the polls when you go to vote.

Acceptable Identification includes:

  • Any current and valid photo ID
  • Driver’s license
  • Student or job ID
  • Military or other government ID
  • Store membership ID
  • United States passport
  • Bank statement
  • Car registration
  • Government check or document
  • Non-photo driver’s license
  • Rent receipt
  • Sample ballot
  • Utility bill
  • Any other official document

 

ID Needed for Voting

Identification is not required unless you are a first time voter who registered by mail and did not provide ID verification with application. If you registered to vote by mail in your county after January 1, 2003, and never voted in a federal election in the county, you are required to provide your county commissioner of registration with identification.

If you show identification, you will vote via the voting machine. If you do not show identification, you will vote via provisional ballot and have until the close of business on the second day after the election, to provide identification to the applicable county election office. You will be given a hand-out at the polling place that will tell you which county election office to contact.

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Official Results

Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.

Mail-in ballot begin being counted on Election Day. Provisional ballots are counted as soon as voter information can be verified.

Official election results will be uploaded on New Jersey’s Division of Elections website as they become available. 

Official Results
Overseas and Military Voters

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Poll Worker Information

You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!

In order to be a poll worker in New Jersey, you must:

  • Be registered to vote in New Jersey
  • Be entitled to compensation
  • Political affiliation generally required
  • Be a resident of the county
  • Complete required training every 2 years
  • Students 16 or older who meet all other voter requirements may be appointed if they are enrolled in high school and have a written note from a parent or if they graduated from high school and have passed a general education development test

Citizens of all ages, including college and high school students, are encouraged to apply. To sign up, contact your local board of elections.

Polling Place Hours

Polls are open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Polling Place Locator

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.

If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.

Primary Election Process

New Jersey has a hybrid primary system. If you are registered to with a particular party, you must vote in that parties primary. However, if you are unaffiliated with any political party, you can choose which party’s primary you wish to vote in.

If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisional Voting

You may vote a provisional ballot if you meet specific conditions.

Provisional ballots are paper ballots that are used at the polling place on election day under the following circumstances:

  • If your registration information is missing or is incomplete in the poll book
  • You moved from your registered address to another in the same county and did not notify your local election officials
  • You did not provide the required ID information on your registration form or you're a first time registrant by mail in New Jersey and your ID numbers could not be verified and you did not show ID to the poll workers at the polling place.
  • There is a marking in the poll book that you applied for an absentee ballot but you did not apply for one, you applied for one but did not receive it, or you received it but did not return it
  • If you vote a provisional ballot because you did not provide the proper ID you have until the close of business on the second day after the election to provide your county commissioner of registration with the required ID information for your provisional ballot to count. You will be given instructions at your polling place on where to bring the ID.

Provisional ballots are counted before the Monday after the election.You can call 1-877-NJVOTER (1-877-658-6837) to check the status of your provisional ballot.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

Most polling places in New Jersey are accessible to voters with disabilities. You may call your county board of elections to determine if your polling location will be able to meet your specific needs.

If you are permanently disabled, unable to go to the polls to vote, or wish to receive information on an absentee ballot, you may check a box in the lower left hand corner of the voter registration form and information will be forwarded to you.

For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

Registration Deadline

You can now register to vote online! Or you can use our registration tool to fill out your application!

The registration deadline to vote is 21 days before Election Day.

Evening registration is available please check with your in the commissioner of registration for dates and times.

Registration forms are also available in various State agencies and at Division of Motor Vehicle offices and can be obtained while transacting agency business.

You can view a quick video about the registration process here.

If you are a registered voter currently affiliated with a political party and you would like to change your party affiliation, you must file a Political Party Affiliation Declaration Form 55 days before a Primary Election.

Time Off To Vote

Time off to vote is subject to the employer, there is no requirement for employers to grant time off to vote for employees.

Verify Voter Registration

To verify your voter registration status

click here!
Voting Machines

The voting system used in New Jersery is DRE.

Direct Recording Electronic (DRE): This is the newest kind of system in use in the U.S. All the information about who and what you are voting for is on an electronic screen like a TV or computer screen.

There are many variations of DREs because lots of companies are inventing new ones, and many cities, counties and states are trying them out. Usually, after you have signed in, the poll workers will give you a card that you slide into a device to start your voting session.

Some of these devices will show all of the candidates and ballot choices on one big screen. Often, with these big screen devices you push a button next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for (or yes or no on a ballot measure). On other DREs, the screen is set up to show pages. On each screen or page, there will probably be one thing to vote on. For example, on one screen or page, you might vote for president. Then you might move to the next page to vote for senator. Often these small-screen devices have a touch screen, where you touch the screen next to the name of the person you want to vote for. Other devices have a key pad. And some have a keyboard, so you can write in the name of someone you want to vote for.

You let the system know you are finished voting by pushing a button, touching the screen or entering something on a keypad.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource.

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