Voter Registration - ID Requirements - Sample Ballots - Type of Primary (closed)

State Contact Information

Division of Elections

Office of the Attorney General

44 South Clinton Avenue, 7th Floor

P.O Box 304

Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0304

Phone: (609) 292-3760

Fax: (609)777-1280

Email: njelections@lps.state.nj.us

Website:

http://www.njelections.org/

Voter Registration

Obtaining a Voter Registration Application:

• Applications for registration can be obtained from the Division of Elections, the Commissioners of Registration (http://www.njelections.org/loc_officials_doe.html) office in the County where you live or from your Municipal Clerk. Registration forms are also available in various State agencies and at Division of Motor Vehicle offices and can be obtained while transacting agency business.
• You may download the State of New Jersey Voter Registration Application from then mail to your Division of Elections Office in the county where you reside. An original signature is required and therefore registrants must submit original hard copy is required for submission.
• Online Registration: None

Close of Registration: 21 days before an election.

ID Requirements

Every registered should take to the polls some form of identification that verifies your name and residence information. First-time voters who register by mail on or after January 1, 2003 are required to provide ID verification with registration application or voters will be required to show identification at the polling place when they go to vote.

Acceptable Forms of ID

A current and valid photo ID includes but is not limited to:

• Driver’s license
• Student or job ID
• Military or other government ID
• Store membership ID
• United States passport

OR

• bank statement
• car registration
• utility bill
• government check
• rent receipt
• sample ballot
• non photo driver's license

Early Voting

In person early voting is not available in New Jersey. Voters who wish to vote before Election Day see Absentee Ballot/Vote By Mail.

Absentee Voting (Open)

Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot/by mail without having to provide a reason or excuse. Please click here for more information.

A voter may apply for an absentee ballot by completing an Absentee Ballot Application and mailing the application to their County Clerk by mail up to 7 days prior to the election. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3:00 p.m., the day before the election. The County Clerk cannot accept faxed copies of an Absentee Ballot Application since an original signature is required.

Deadline to vote by absentee ballot:

Your absentee ballot must be RECEIVED by the County Board of Elections no later then 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Provisional Voting (in-jurisdiction)

A “provisional ballot” can be considered a temporary ballot. Federal law provides for voters whose eligibility is in question to cast a ballot. A provisional ballot is not counted until voter eligibility can be determined by Election officials. Provisional voting was established nationwide by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). This means that no person who says they are registered to vote may be denied their right to vote. Provisional ballots will be counted if cast in the correct jurisdiction or more commonly referred to as county.

A voter has the right to vote a provisional ballot if one of the following situations applies to him/her:

• The voter’s name is not on the official roster of voters and the election officer cannot verify the voter’s voting eligibility on Election Day.

• Records indicate that the voter requested an absentee ballot and the voter fails to turn in the absentee ballot at the polls on Election Day.

• The voter is a first- time Federal Election voter in the county and was unable to provide the required proof of identification.

Voters have until the close of business on the second day after the election to provide identification to the applicable county election office. Locate your office here: http://www.njelections.org/loc_officials_doe.html

Sample Ballots

Registered voters should receive information about where they will vote on Election Day. Shortly before the election, voters should also receive a sample ballot, which is a printed list of people running for office. Voters who have not received any information a few weeks before the election, should call their County Commissioner of Registration. To contact your local County Commissioner of Registration, please click here.

Sample ballots contain the following information:

• Location of your polling place
• Hours polls are open
• Public questions (general election only)
• Offices to be voted on, candidates names, district and municipality
• Operating instructions for the voting machines
• Instructions for how to "write in" a candidate

Type of Primary (closed)

New Jersey’s primary system is closed. In order to vote in a primary, voters must be registered in one of the political parties whose candidates are running for office.