Month: August 2018

Vote By Mail Options have changed!

Posted on by Angela Rosa

On August 10, 2018, new legislation went into effect that changes the options voters have when voting by mail, AND, IMPORTANTLY, changes the way SOME voters have been assigned to vote in future elections. If you voted by mail in the 2016 General Election, the new law has assigned you to be a “Vote-By-Mail Voter” — unless you notify your county clerk in writing that you want to be removed from the permanent vote-by-mail list.

A law signed by Governor Murphy on August 10, 2018 mandates that any voter who requested and received a Vote By Mail Ballot for the 2016 General Election be put on a list to automatically receive Vote By Mail ballots for all future elections, beginning with the upcoming November 6 General Election.

2016 Voters who fall into this category but do not wish to receive mail-in ballots for every election in the future will be able to “opt out” by notifying the County Clerk in writing that they no longer wish to receive Vote By Mail ballots for all future elections. These voters still have the option of Voting By Mail in any election of their choosing, but will have to submit an application for a Vote By Mail Ballot whenever they choose to do so.

There is no longer an option to request mail-in ballots for the calendar year, or to request mail-in ballots for all General Elections only. The two options now offered in NJ are:

  1. Vote by mail in ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS (which means you are no longer eligible to vote on the voting machines at the polls); or
  2. Request a mail-in ballot for a SINGLE election whenever you wish to vote by mail.

Click here to download the updated Application For Vote By Mail Ballot.  Click here for answers to popular questions about how the new law affects voters.

Be a Voter

Posted on by CountyClerk

Be a Voter

Are you planning to vote this November 6th?

If not, ask yourself why not?

If it’s because you’re not registered, or you aren’t familiar with our voting machines, or maybe you think your vote doesn’t matter – please give the County Clerk’s Office a call and we’ll do our best to hook you up with the information you need to ensure you make it to the polls – with confidence – on Election Day.

If you’re planning on not participating because you don’t know enough about the candidates on the ballot – you still have time to do some research. Talk to friends and family – engage in conversation. Find out how candidates’ views differ on the issues that matter most to you. Education? Jobs? Environment? Public Safety? Transportation? Check out candidates’ social media pages. Look up newspaper articles. Contact the campaign headquarters of local candidates. Get answers. When it comes to selecting the next Governor of New Jersey, you may find it insightful to read the gubernatorial candidate statements we’ve posted to our website (https://sussexcountyclerk.org/elections/ ). Remember that November’s winners will affect public policy moving forward. Whose public policies do you want to see implemented?

If you do plan to vote this November but aren’t sure you’ll be able to make it to the polls on Election Day – because of travel, illness, or any reason whatsoever – YOU HAVE OPTIONS!

You can vote early by mail, or you can vote in person at your County Clerk’s Office. Mail-In Ballots are available about 45 days prior to Election Day. That gives you plenty of time to plan ahead. You can download a Vote By Mail Ballot Application, or call our office and request an application be mailed to you. Mailed applications must arrive to our office on or before October 30th – this is so that we have time to mail you your ballot, and you have ample time to mail it back to the Board of Elections. The Board must receive your ballot before the close of polls (8 p.m.) on Election Day. After the mailing deadline has passed, voters still can apply and vote in person at the County Clerk’s Office up until 3 p.m. the Monday before Election Day (Nov 5th). Visit https://sussexcountyclerk.org/elections to learn more about early voting.

Voter Signing in at polling place

Be engaged. Be a voter.