NJ Election Info and Resources
Your reference guide to voting in NJ’s 2020 Presidential Election
There’s a lot of disinformation and confusion being pushed out into the ether about voting in the 2020 Presidential Election. Despite what you may be hearing, Vote By Mail is — and has been for a long time — a legitimate voting method, and with no significant risk of fraud. Moreover, it is virtually the same process as Absentee voting, which, among others, our beloved servicemen and women regularly rely on to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
However, while in the midst of a pandemic, the amount of vote-by-mail voters rather than in-person is expected to substantially increase this year, which will put a strain on the US Post Office deliveries and election officials counting the ballots. This makes it critical for everyone to register, request your mail-in ballot and return your completed ballot as early as possible to ensure your vote arrives on time and is counted.
Before I give the resources and info for NJ’s election process, here are several fact-checks and analysis pieces that clear up any confusion, most notably this comprehensive fact sheet by Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, of the Federal Election Commission:
OK, now let’s get started…..
No matter how you intend to vote, your first step should be to sign up to NJ’s online voter information portal here:
Here you can check to verify you are registered (and if not, go ahead and register), as well as see your own voter information, including your election history, mail-in ballot history, provisional ballot history, polling location info and country election officials listing. This is also where you can track your ballot.
Here’s what that portal looks like:
Breaking it down by task — here’s where you can check if you are registered:
If you find that you are NOT registered, then click this link and find your county’s application, print and fill out, fold & tape following the instructions on the application, and send in the mail.
Here’s where you can get your Vote- By Mail Ballot Application. They are listed by county, so scroll to find your county, click the link, print out the application and fill out, then send to the pre-addressed location on the application.
So you want to help?
We are facing a shortage of poll workers, which could exasperate the already taxed system this election cycle. This is because many poll workers are over 60 years old and vulnerable to COVID-19, so many of them will opt out this go ‘round. Plus there is a lot more work to do than usual to ensure physical distancing, cleaning, etc. If you want to volunteer to be a poll worker, we need you! Click here for more info:
