Every polling location displays the New Jersey Voters' Bill of Rights, which can be viewed in multiple languages on the New Jersey Voter Information Portal.
Your vote is important. The League of Women Voters is dedicated to protecting everyone's right to vote. If you have any questions about voting or encounter any problems, call one of the following hotlines:
If you prefer, you can reach us through email using our contact form.
If you notice something unusual at your polling place, you have a few options to file a complaint. You can file a complaint with a poll worker, call the League of Women Voters of New Jersey at 1-800-792-VOTE(8683), or call the NJ Division of Elections at 1-877-NJ-Voter(1-877-658-6837).
Review our FAQs if you have a specific question or concern, or visit the New Jersey Voter Information Portal.
You can register to vote if you are:
Eligible voters can register to vote online or by filling out a paper registration form. Paper registration forms are available by county and can be returned through the mail on in-person to your county Commissioner of Registration/Superintendent of Elections. You can register to vote online or download a paper registration form on the NJ Voter Information Portal.
To check if you are registered, use the state's "Am I Registered?" tool. It is a good idea to check your status periodically before voter registration deadlines to ensure that your information is still accurate and that you have not been removed from the rolls for any reason.
Changed your name: You are entitled to vote only in the next election by signing your registration sheet at the polls with both your previous and new name. After that, you must re-register in your new name.
Changed your address: You must re-register and check off "address change" on the registration form.
Completed a sentence: You must re-register if you've completed your prison sentence and are back in the community, even if you are on probation or parole. As of March 17, 2020, people on probation and parole have the right to register to vote.
The registration deadline to vote in the next election is 21 days prior to the election day. View our Voting page for the next election registration deadline.
Upcoming Election Deadlines >You should update your voter registration when you move.
Depending on where you are moving to/from and how close the next election is, your ability to vote in the next election might be impacted. The safest approach is to contact your county Superintendent of Elections or Commissioner of Registration to verify your voting options if you move within 30 days of an election.
To register to vote, you will need your date of birth and one of the following forms of identification:
A current and valid Driver’s License or a non-driver Identification Card (ID card) issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC)
-or-
A Social Security number
(from the State of New Jersey) An Inactive voter is a voter whose address has come into question.
The main way the counties receive this information is via the sample ballots that are sent prior to each election. If a sample ballot is returned as undeliverable or indicates the voter has moved out of county/state, that voter is put into an “Inactive” status and is sent a confirmation notice informing them that they have until the second federal general election after the date of the notice to update their voting record or appear to vote and complete the necessary form or they will be removed from the voting rolls.
Inactive voters do not get sample ballots and are not eligible to receive a vote by mail ballot until they are put back into an Active status. To update your record to active status, use the online voter registration form or a paper registration form.
You have the right to register and vote if you are on parole or probation. You have the right to register and vote upon release from prison. You are not eligible to register to vote if you are incarcerated due to a felony conviction under state or federal law.
You must re-register to vote once you complete your prison sentence, even if you were a registered voter prior to your conviction. If you're serving time for a misdemeanor or civil matter, you also have the right to register, and you can vote from jail using a vote-by-mail ballot.
If you’re a NJ resident heading out of town or out of state for college, you have a decision to make before Election Day. Register to vote using your home address OR register to vote using your new campus residence address.
Option A: Register at Home Address
Vote for officials and issues impacting your hometown. Return home to vote in-person during early voting or on Election Day OR Vote-by-Mail from college.
1. Register to vote / check your voter registration status: Visit Vote.NJ.Gov.
2. Decide how to vote: Vote411.org has poll locations and sample ballots. For a Vote-by-Mail ballot sent to your college address, apply at Vote.NJ.Gov.
Option B: Register at New College Address
Vote for officials and issues impacting your college town and campus community. Remember to change your registration if you move or after you graduate.
1. Register to vote / re-register to vote at your college address: Visit Vote411.org for information about registering to vote.
2. Know how to vote at your new address: State voting laws, requirements, and deadlines vary. Check Vote411.org and make sure you’re ready!
You do not need a permanent address to register to vote. You can use a temporary address to register. If you are unhoused, you can use an address of a place you often stay such as a shelter, park, or a street corner. If possible, use a trusted mailing address, like a shelter address, so you can receive mail from your county election officials.
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.
Instructional Videos and FAQs >Voters can return their completed Mail-In Ballot one of three ways:
You cannot return your Mail-In Ballot to your polling place.
Find a Dropbox Location >If you have not already returned your ballot, you may request a replacement Mail-in Ballot from your County Clerk.
County Election Officials >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.
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.
No–but you do have options. Registered voters can vote at any in-person early voting site in their county during the early voting period. On Election Day, voters can vote at their assigned polling place, which is indicated on your sample ballot that you receive in the mail before Election Day.
If for some reason you are not in the poll book, you can vote using a paper provisional ballot. However, your provisional ballot will only be counted if you are found to be eligible. The League of Women Voters of New Jersey recommends that you call us at 1-800-792-VOTE (8683) if you believe you should be listed in the poll book but you are not, so we can review your situation. We might recommend that you go before an election judge.
Yes! You have the right to bring your child into the voting booth with you.
You have the right to bring someone of your choice into the voting booth if you need assistance–for example, if you speak a language other than English or have a disability. You can also request assistance from a poll worker. In this situation, two poll workers (one Republican and one Democrat) will assist you.
If you notice something unusual at your polling place, you have a few options to file a complaint. You can file a complaint with a poll worker, call the League of Women Voters of New Jersey at 1-800-792-VOTE(8683), or call the NJ Division of Elections at 1-877-NJ-Voter(1-877-658-6837).
In most cases, no.
However, you will need to provide ID if you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and did not provide identification numbers, or the information you did provide could not be verified. Identification may include, but is not limited to, a current and valid photo ID such as a:
Or a non-photo ID such as a:
If you can provide ID, you are allowed to vote at your polling place, on the machine.
However, if you do not show identification, you will have to vote by provisional ballot, and you 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.
Provisional ballots are paper ballots that are used at the polling place under the following circumstances:
If you are not allowed to vote on the machine at your polling place, you have the right to vote using a provisional ballot. If you are being told you must vote provisionally but you think this is incorrect, please call our Voter Hotline, 1-800-792-VOTE (8683).
The board worker will give you a paper ballot and an envelope and must provide you with a private area to complete your ballot. If you make a mistake (spoil) your ballot, you have the right to ask the board worker for another ballot. Place your completed ballot in the envelope and seal it. Sign and complete the Affirmation Statement that is attached to the envelope but DO NOT DETACH the Affirmation Statement. If you do not sign the Affirmation Statement, your ballot will not be counted.
Your envelope must be placed in the provisional ballot bag; give the envelope to the board worker or you may put your ballot into the bag yourself. No provisional ballot is counted at the polling place. All provisional ballots are taken to the County Commissioner of Registration’s office after the close of the polls for verification and counting by the County Board of Election.
After you give your provisional ballot to a poll worker, you must be given a number to call to find out if your ballot was counted and if not, why not. All provisional ballots are taken to the County Commissioner of Registration’s office after the close of the polls for verification and counting by the County Board of Election.
If you are concerned your vote will not be counted, or if you believe you have the right to cast your vote on a voting machine, you have the right to appear before an Election Judge. Call our Voter Hotline, 1-800-792-VOTE (8683) for assistance.
All polls and voting machines are required to be accessible. If yours is not, call a voter hotline to report the issue. You can also report accessibility concerns to the state.
You may declare a party affiliation when registering to vote, but you are not required to do so to vote in most elections. However, to vote in a primary election, you must declare a political party. Currently, only the Democratic and Republican parties qualify for primary elections.
A registered voter currently affiliated with a political party who wishes to change their party affiliation must file a Political Party Affiliation Declaration Form 55 days before a Primary Election. You must be able to print this form. If you need assistance or need a form mailed to you, please contact us. Forms must be received by the Commissioner of Registration in your county or your Municipal Clerk by the deadline. Changing your party affiliation after this deadline jeopardizes your ability to participate in a primary election.
A registered voter NOT currently affiliated with a political party may declare their party affiliation up to and including Primary Election Day. This includes declaring in-person at the polls during early voting or on Election Day or by using a Party Affiliation Declaration Form ahead of Election Day.
Once a party is declared, that party affiliation is retained unless the voter files a party affiliation declaration form after the election.
Unaffiliated voters have options for declaring a party depending on method of voting. Once a party is declared, that party affiliation is retained unless the voter files a party affiliation declaration form after the election.
A "semi-closed" primary means that you must declare a political party to participate in a primary election, and only declared members of a political party can participate in that party's primary. However, unaffiliated voters can declare a party up to an including Primary Election Day. This means you will only be able to access the ballot for your particular party:
No. You can vote for any candidate from any party in a General Election.
Yes, you have the same voting options as in a General Election. Visit our Vote-By-Mail page for more information.
