VOTE-BY-MAIL

Vote-By-Mail allows any registered voter to receive a Mail-In Ballot that can be submitted by regular mail, a secure ballot drop-box, or at your County Board of Elections. You do not need a special reason to request to Vote-By-Mail, but you DO need to apply to request a Mail-In Ballot.

If you apply to Vote-By-Mail, you can choose to do so for the next upcoming election or for all future elections.

Please note that the terms “Vote-By-Mail" and “Mail-In Ballot” are used interchangeably. This is also commonly known as an “Absentee” ballot. In New Jersey, the term “Absentee” was replaced with “Vote-By-Mail" to clarify that voters do not need a reason to request a ballot by mail.

You must be a registered voter in order to apply for a Mail-In Ballot. Registered voters can apply for a Mail-In Ballot by completing the online application or downloading an application and submitting it to their County Clerk.

To receive your Vote-By-Mail Ballot by mail, the application must be received by your County Clerk by 7 days prior to the election. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3 pm, the day before the election.

County Clerks cannot accept faxed or emailed copies of an application for Vote-By-Mail Ballot, unless you are a Military or Overseas Voter, because an original signature is required.

The New Jersey Division of Elections provides instructional videos. The NJ Voter Information Portal includes a detailed list of Frequently Asked Questions which we recommend using as a resource if you have additional questions that aren’t answered here.

Voters can return their completed Mail-In Ballot one of three ways:

1. Using a secure ballot drop box: by 8 pm on Election Day.
2. In-person at your county Board of Elections office: by 8 pm on Election Day.
3. By mail: Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received on or before the sixth day after the close of polls. USPS now considers mail postmarked when it is processed by the post office, not when it is received by the post office. Given this change, it is recommended to return your completed ballot using one of the two methods above. If you plan to return your ballot through the mail, mail your ballot at least several days before Election Day. 

You cannot return your Mail-In Ballot to your polling place.

If you have not already returned your ballot, you may request a replacement Mail-in Ballot from your County Clerk.

A person who transports a voted (completed) vote by mail ballot for someone else is considered a"Bearer". Bearers are limited to three (3) non-household ballots per election, except that an authorized bearer may transport up to five (5) ballots in an election if those voters are immediate family members residing in the same household as the bearer.

• The Bearer is not to exceed (5) ballots in total for any election.
• The Bearer MUST SIGN the "Bearer Portion" ofthe outer envelope of the ballot in the presence of the voter when takingcustody of the ballot.

Any Bearer Ballots that exceed the limit must be REJECTED. If the Bearer is hand-delivering the ballot to the county Board of Elections, then he/she MUST SHOW ID AND SIGN the Bearer Book. It is against the law for anyone except you, the voter, to mail or transport your ballot unless the outer envelope is sealed and the “Bearer Portion” is completed.

A ballot 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 at 8 pm on Election Day. Voters must use drop boxes within their own county.

There will be at least 3 to 10 drop boxes located throughout each county, which will be available 24 hours a day. Drop boxes are under surveillance by security cameras and collected daily by county election officials.

If you have received a Mail-In Ballot, you cannot vote on a voting machine in-person. However, you can vote at your polling place using a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are paper ballots that will be counted after election officials can verify that a voter has not cast a Vote-by-Mail Ballot.

Every valid Mail-in Ballot is counted.

Be sure to complete and sign the certificate attached to the inner envelope when you return your Mail-in Ballot. Be sure to leave the certificate attached to the inner envelope. Do not put it inside the inner envelope. If you plan to mail your ballot, it must be postmarked ON or BEFORE Election Day and received by your county Board of Elections by 8 pm on the sixth day after the close of the polls. If you are not confident your ballot will arrive in time, you can drop it off in person at the county Board of Elections or one of the county’s authorized secure ballot drop boxes. If you are dropping your ballot off in-person, you must do so by 8 pm on Election Day.

To track your Vote-By-Mail ballot, visit Vote.NJ.Gov, select “Track My Ballot” and log into your My Voter Record account. If you do not already have an account, you can create one by following the instructions to locate your Voter ID.

Ballots can be rejected for a number of reasons. If your ballot is rejected due to an error that can be cured, you will receive a "Cure Letter" from your County Board of Elections that will include a Cure Form. When you complete this form, you will be declaring that this was your ballot and verifying your identity by providing information. You can deliver this form in-person to your county Board of Elections office, or return it by mail, email, or fax. Fill out the form as soon as you receive it. The deadline for the County Board of Elections to receive your ballot cure form is 48 hours prior to election certification.