Sussex County Clerk, Jeff Parrott is proud of his staff for their donation to three extremely worthwhile nonprofit organizations.  On Fridays the employees at the clerk’s office are given the option of wearing jeans for the small price of $2.00. That money added up to approximately $975.00 over the course of the year.  We chose to donate three checks in the amount of $325.00 each to Ginnie’s House, The Veteran’s Relief Fund in Hopatcong and the Sussex County Food Pantry.  Ms. Virginia Littell accepted the donation on behalf of Ginnie’s House. Mr. Mitch Ellicott accepted the donation on behalf of The Veteran’s Fund, and Mrs. Rita Oroho along with Mrs. Lisa Parrott accepted the donation on behalf of the Sussex County Food Pantry. All three of these organizations work diligently to provide support and hope to numerous Sussex County residents.

The standard processing time to apply for and obtain a U.S. Passport Book or Card has gone from 4-6 weeks to 6-8 weeks. Persons interested in foreign travel in need of a passport should allow for the current delay.

Applicants can still pay additional fees to expedite their passport application, with options of either a 3-4 week turnaround or as little as 2-3 weeks.

Depending on when you plan to apply and how many persons are in your party, an appointment may be necessary.

Visit our PASSPORT site for more information on obtaining a passport book or card, or call the Clerk’s Office at 973-579-0900 for more information.

As you can imagine, cancer treatment is not a quick or easy process and can be particularly difficult for children with cancer and for their families. Children with cancer can spend anywhere from weeks to months at a time in the hospital, and they endure treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and more.

Kid Nicholas Going Gold 4 Kids is a Founding Hope program of the American Childhood Cancer Organization that supports local families in New Jersey. In May of 2017, a bipartisan resolution sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblyman Parker Space (both R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) was signed by Governor Chris Christie to promote education and awareness about childhood cancer. The resolution was inspired by Nicholas DaSilva, Kid Nicholas Going gold for Kids.

September is childhood cancer awareness month. The resolution designates the third week in September of each year as “Go Gold for Kids with Cancer Awareness Week.” Childhood Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in American children under the age of 19. Schools will be encouraged to host appropriate activities and programs that promote a better understanding of childhood cancer. We would also like to encourage all public officials and the citizens of the state to join in wearing a gold ribbon, which is the international awareness symbol for childhood.

We respectfully request your help to mark your town’s calendar for the third week of September and to help us make childhood cancer awareness month as successful as possible by participating in awareness initiatives. By doing so, your town can help us give HOPE to even more children and families in NJ and allow us to continue having a positive impact in a child’s cancer battle! To learn more about us please visit https://www.acco.org/kidnic/. Thank you for your support and consideration!

Warm regards,

Kid Nicholas Going Gold for Kids

“Kid Nicholas Going Gold 4 Kids” is a local program of the American Childhood Cancer Organization, a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization. © 2017 American Childhood Cancer Organization®. All Rights Reserved.

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.

VOTE EARLY

Easy, Convenient, Saves Time & Gas

Voting in New Jersey is easier than ever!

*No Waiting*
*Increased opportunities to cast your ballot*
*No Long Lines*

How do I obtain a Vote Early Ballot?

• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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:

• If you complete the application, sign it and return it in the postage-paid envelope, the County Clerk will check your signature against the signature from your voter registration file and approve or disapprove the application.  If approved, a mail-in ballot will be mailed to you at the address indicated.  If disapproved an explanatory letter will be mailed.
• Please note in Box 1 the voter may select the option of receiving a Mail-In Ballot for (a) ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS or (b) for ONLY ONE election.  If no box is checked our office will send approved voters a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 6 election only.
• If you want to continue to vote on the voting machine on election day DO NOT sign the pre-filled Application for a Mail-in Ballot and DO NOT send it to the County Clerk.
• Active voters who have an approved mail-in ballot application on file from the 2016 General (Presidential) Election will be sent a mail-In ballot for ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS unless they OPT OUT in writing to the County Clerk.  This is mandated by P.L. 2018 c. 72.  The roughly 4,200 Sussex County voters affected by this mandate have been notified by letter from the County Clerk to inform them of their options.
• Voters who receive a mail-in ballot should vote that ballot and return it as soon as possible to the Board of Elections.  The new law allows that every mail-in ballot bearing a postmark dated on or before Election Day and is received by the Board of Elections within 48 hours of the closing of the polls shall be considered valid and counted.
• Voters who were sent a mail-in ballot MAY NOT vote on the voting machine on Election Day. If they go to their polling place they will be given a provisional ballot, which is the same as the paper ballot they were mailed; as a matter of convenience and to avoid delays at the polls, these voters should vote the ballot they were mailed.
• Sample ballots will be delivered by Nov. 2. All active voters will receive a sample ballot in the mail during the week before the election. The sample ballot will show all the races, candidates, and questions for which the voter may cast a ballot in this election and will list the voter’s polling location and hours. Samples of the mail-in ballots are posted to the County Clerk’s website for viewing.

“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.