The County Clerk welcomes visitors back to Suite 304 in the Cochran House Professional Building. The Clerk’s staff were temporarily relocated while renovations were made to Suite 304, improving the office for staff and customers alike. Among the improvements are new privacy stations for in-person voting.
*No Waiting*
*Increased opportunities to cast your ballot*
*No Long Lines*
• Call your County Clerk and simply ask to have a Vote Early Ballot Application mailed to your address; or
• Go online, download the application from your County Clerk’s website and mail to your County Clerk; or
• Apply in person at your County Clerk’s Office. If you apply in person 40 days or less prior to an election, you can obtain your ballot while you wait.
Q: Is there a deadline for Vote Early Applications?
A: Yes. Application by mail must be received at least 7 days before Election Day for a ballot to be mailed to you. However, voters can obtain ballots in person beginning 45 days before an election until 3:00 PM the day before the election.
Q: Is there a deadline for returning Vote Early Ballots?
A: Yes. Your voted early ballot must be received by the county Board of Elections and must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received no later than 48 hours after the time of the closing of the polls.
Q: Can I apply for another voter?
A: NO. Registered voters MUST apply for and sign their own Vote Early application. However, they may receive assistance in filling out and delivering the application. The assistor must complete Section 10 of the application and sign where indicated.
For more information, please contact your Sussex County Clerk.
Jeffrey M. Parrott (973) 579-0900 www.sussexcountyclerk.org
Election Board: (973) 579-0950
The October 10, 2018 deadline for New Jersey to comply with the Real ID Act has been extended again — this time until October 10, 2019.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), New Jersey has been granted another extension for REAL ID enforcement, allowing Federal agencies to accept driver licenses and identification cards from New Jersey at Federal facilities, nuclear power plants and federally regulated commercial aircraft until October 10, 2019.
After October 10, 2019 NJ citizens will need more than their state-issued driver license to board domestic flights.
Other federally accepted forms of I.D. for domestic air travel include the U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card. Travelers who do not already possess a U.S. Passport may want to consider applying for one or both. The Passport Book also allows you to fly internationally, while the Passport Card limits you to domestic air travel and/or international travel by land or sea ports of entry.
Your County Clerk’s Office is a certified U.S. Passport Acceptance Facility and can assist you with the application process. Visit our Passport Page for more information on what’s needed to apply for a U.S. Passport Book or Card.
Visit DHS for possible NJ extension updates and to learn more about REAL ID.
“Our office and county clerks’ offices throughout New Jersey have been inundated with emails, personal visits, and phone calls from voters concerned about recent mailings by political action organizations.
“County clerks received word last month that a democracy project would be sending out mailings to New Jersey voters to encourage voter participation by mail.
“These mailings are not from your county clerk, they are being sent by the Voter Participation Center and The Center for Voter Information – both of Trenton, as well as from various candidate campaigns. The mailings contain a personalized mail-in ballot application pre-filled with the voter’s name and address in the hope that the voter will sign the application and return it in the postage-paid envelope addressed to the County Clerk for processing a mail-in ballot to the voter.
“This type of marketing effort is not new; both major political parties have been doing so for years. The data come from the Statewide Voter Registration System under the direction of the New Jersey Division of Elections in the Department of State.
“There is no prohibition under the law for providing voter data to marketers who use it for political purposes.
“What voters should know:
“The approaching Nov. 6 General Election is a supercharged mid-term federal election for Congress that, together with a rush by our governor in August to mandate significant changes to the mail-in ballot law, the frenzy of events taking place in Washington, and the use of technology to gain personal data to reach people has heightened voter awareness statewide.
“I can assure you that the County Clerk’s Office and the Board of Elections are ready to meet the challenges of this election. We are diligent in our processes and are carefully observing the laws and procedures to prevent voter fraud.
“We work closely with the Division of Elections and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure our elections remain safe and secure for the voters.”
For more information utilize our website www.sussexcountyclerk.org or call 973-579-0900, ext. 1507.
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:
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.
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.
Be engaged. Be a voter.
Follow link to view results from today’s 3 p.m. drawing for Federal, County & Municipal candidate positions.
Click to view the results from today’s 3 p.m. ballot draw for school board candidate positions.
Click on the following link to view a preliminary list of candidates who filed petitions for school boards across Sussex County: Who’s On The Ballot
The ballot draw for candidate position on Sussex County’s 2018 General Election ballot (including school board) will be held on Mon., August 13 in the County Clerk’s conference room. Candidates and members of the public are welcome to attend the draw, which begins promptly at 3 p.m.