Sussex County Clerk Jeff Parrott announced on Thursday that Vote-By-Mail (VBM) ballots for this year’s Primary Elections are being mailed this week to all registered Democrats and Republicans in compliance with Governor Murphy’s Executive Order #144. Voters who register after the initial mailing but before June 17 will also be mailed a ballot. Also under EO#144, Unaffiliated voters will be mailed a special Vote-By-Mail application for one-time use in this election; the application requires the voter to declare a party in order to be mailed a ballot. The applications will be mailed out beginning June 12. Unaffiliated voters need to complete and return this special EO#144 Application even if they already applied for a mail-in ballot using the standard application.

Voters who regularly vote by mail will notice that their Mail-In Ballot has a new look. “The ballot materials were redesigned to help simplify voting by mail,” said Parrott. “The voter has less to fill out and instructions are clear and easy to follow.”

When voters receive the VBM ballot, they should read the instructions provided and then vote their ballot using blue or black ink, and submit it right away in one of the following ways:

1. Mail it in the postage-paid return envelope provided;
2. Hand-deliver it to the County Board of Elections at 83 Spring Street, Suite 305 in Newton; or
3. Deposit it in one of the secure/surveilled Ballot Drop Boxes that will be located at:
   a) Hardyston Township Municipal Building
   b) Hopatcong Borough Municipal Building
   c) Newton Town Municipal Building
   d) Sparta Township Municipal Building
   e) Vernon Township Municipal Building

Polling places for this year’s Primary elections are limited, so voters may be assigned a new polling place for July 7. There will be no sample ballots mailed this year. Instead of sample ballots, voters will receive a postcard in the mail from the County Clerk with the location of their designated polling location should they choose to go to the polls and vote via provisional paper ballot. The postcards will be mailed the week after the close of voter registration, which is June 16^th.

The list of available polling locations in Sussex County is posted to the County Clerk’s website at www.sussexcountyclerk.org/elections. 

Voters who go to a polling location on July 7 will vote a provisional paper ballot. Voters with disabilities should call the County Clerk’s Office for an accessible ballot, or may choose to vote an audio ballot on an ADA-accessible voting machine at their assigned polling location.

Election-related deadlines are as follows:

• Final day to register to vote in time for the Primary Election: June 16
• Deadline for unaffiliated voters to APPLY by Mail for Primary Election Vote By Mail ballot:  June 30
• Deadline for a walk-in to obtain a vote-by-mail ballot from the County Clerk: July 7
• Primary Election Day: July 7, polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
• Deadline to mail/postmark or drop off a VBM ballot – July 7 at 8 p.m.

Voters who have questions about voting by mail in the July 7, 2020 primary elections are encouraged to call the County Clerk’s Office at 973-579-0900. Voters with questions about party affiliation, voter registration status, polling place assignment or drop box locations should contact the County Board of Elections at 973-579-0950.

Due to COVID-19, New Jersey Elections are pushed to July 7^th, and now will be Primarily Vote-By-Mail. 

Mandatory Requirements and Standards for Admittance

• All visitors must wear a mask at all times.
• Please follow the recommended “6 feet apart” social distancing guidelines at all times.

In the Clerk’s Office:

• A MAXIMUM of 3 customers allowed at any given time in the lobby. Please wait in the hall if the maximum capacity is met.

In the Records Room:

• A MAXIMUM of 5 customers/professional title searchers (total) allowed at any given time.

Thank you for adhering to these requirements established to protect your health and the health of others.

Jeff Parrott
Sussex County Clerk

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Passport Services

Because of public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Department of State has limited its U.S. passport operations. Our passport agencies are closed to the public and can only serve customers with a qualified life or death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.

Customer can still apply at a passport acceptance facility for routine service only. However, Passport Services will not be able to meet its usual processing time of 6-8 weeks for routine service. Customers should expect significant delays beyond the time period it normally takes to receive their passport and citizenship evidence documents.

Passport Services ceased offering expedited service on March 19.

For the latest passport information on Passport Services operations, please visit our website at travel.state.gov or you can follow us at @travelgov on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We thank you for your patience and understanding!

CA/PPT/PMO/S/CS 4.17.20

As of Monday, May 18, 2020 our Records Room will be open for PROFESSIONAL SEARCHES ONLY during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All title searchers must wear a mask, gloves and it is suggested that you bring your own pencil. If you have any questions please contact our office at 973-579-0900.

We are aware that during this unprecedented time, one of the growing concerns is the expiration of notary commissions.  At this time we remain closed to the public, however, our office is strategizing  a way to ensure the safety of the public and employees while swearing in notaries so business can continue.  As we receive information or direction from the NJ Department of Treasury we will update our website.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office M-F between 8 and 4 p.m.

Sussex County Clerk’s Office
www.sussexcountyclerk.org
973-579-0900

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 120, postponing primary elections on Tuesday, June 2^nd to Tuesday, July 7^th in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  This includes primaries for President, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the 25^th District of the New Jersey Legislature, and county and municipal elections, as well as county committee elections.  Last month, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order No. 105, which delayed certain elections set to take place in March and April until May 12^th.

“Preserving basic functions of our democracy is critical in this unprecedented time,” said Governor Murphy. “Citizens exercising their right to vote should not have to risk their safety and the safety of others in order to make their voices heard. Postponing our primary elections is a difficult, yet necessary, choice to ensure that our citizens can partake in their civic duty of voting.”

“Governor Murphy’s decision to move New Jersey’s primary election to July 7, 2020 will provide our state, county, and local election officials with the time we need to prepare for a free, fair, and safe election for New Jersey voters.” said Secretary of State Tahesha Way.

The Order also states that all deadlines for meeting statutory requirements for a primary election that are currently scheduled to occur after April 11 will be calculated using the July 7, 2020 primary election date.  This would not affect any deadlines that 1) have already passed, such as the filing deadline for candidate petitions for the primary election, or 2) will pass prior to April 11.  The only exception is the deadline for change of party affiliation declaration forms to be filed, which is currently scheduled for April 8 and will move to May 13.

Additionally, independent candidate petitions will be due by 4:00 p.m. on July 7, 2020, and the electronic signature and submission requirements that were set forth in Executive Order No. 105 for primary candidates will be extended to these independent candidate petitions.

Election rules have been modified during prior emergencies, including by Governor Kean in 1982 during a severe winter storm and by the Christie Administration in 2012 in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

Copy of Executive Order 120

Please see the notice from Sussex County Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott.

Be prepared when traveling.  Starting October 1, 2020, you must have a REAL ID compliant driver license/ID to fly within the U.S., unless you use a U.S. passport or another federally approved form of identification.

You can obtain a REAL ID from the Newton motor vehicle agency.  Please feel free to contact the Sussex County Clerk’s office if you have any questions regarding passports. 

TIP:  When booking hotels and flights, it is very important to use your name as it appears on your driver’s license.

Helpful links:

https://Realidnj.com

https://www.dhs.gov/real-id

https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-frequently-asked-questions

https://sussexcountyclerk.org/passports/