Overview
In light of the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy signed P.L. 2020, c. 72, which makes significant changes to how the 2020 General Election will be conducted.
- To limit unnecessary exposure, the election will be conducted mostly by Vote by Mail Ballot, as such you have been sent this ballot.
- There will be limited in-person polling places where voters can cast their vote by paper Provisional Ballots.
- Per the new law, you cannot vote in a machine at the polls (there will be an ADA accessible ballot marking devices available for voters that are unable to vote via paper ballot).
Registering to Vote
In order to vote in this election, you must be registered by OCTOBER 13, 2020.
- To confirm you are Registered,CLICK HERE
- For New Registrations or to Update your registration information,CLICK HERE
Vote by Mail
The election will be conducted primarily by paper VOTE BY MAIL ballots.
- All who are registered are automatically being sent VBM Ballots.
- Unless you have previously signed up to receive a Vote By Mail for all future elections, you will only be sent a ballot for this election.
Schedule for Mailing Ballots
- In Camden County, the initial mailing of ballots for voters registered before September 14th is as follows:
- Mailing will begin being mailed the week of September 21st
- All ballots will be in the mail by October 5th.
- For efficiency, the larger municipalities will be mailed first while preparing the smaller mailings to be sent closer to the October 5th deadline.
- If you do not receive your ballot by October 12th, you can CLICK HERE to request a replacement ballot
- All new registrations occurring after September 14th will be sent out shortly after registration.
Returning Your Ballot
By Dropbox
- There are 13 secure drop boxes located throughout Camden County in which you can drop off your ballot.
- Drop boxes are open 24 hours a day in well-lit locations and are under video surveillance.
- The drop boxes are open until the close of polls, 8:00pm on November 3, 2020
- For Drop Box locations, CLICK HERE
By Mail
- The ballots are postage paid.
- They can be returned to any US Post Office or in a USPS mailbox.
- If it is close to the election, it is recommended that you ask the Post Office to hand cancel the envelope to assure it has a readable postmark.
- Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day will be counted if received by November 10, 2020.
In-Person to Board of Elections
· Ballots can be dropped to:
Camden County Board of Elections,
100 University Ct., Blackwood, NJ 08012.
Camden County Board of Elections,
100 University Ct., Blackwood, NJ 08012.
Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm
Election Day 6:00am to 8:00pm
· Since you will be bearing your ballot, identification is required.
· If someone else transports your ballot, they must complete the Bearer portion of the Green return envelope.
In-Person to Polling Place on Election Day
· Ballots can be dropped off at the voter’s assigned polling location during polling hours.
· The voter must sign the poll book prior to depositing the ballot in the sealed ballot box.
· The voter can only return their own ballot; the voter cannot be the bearer of anyone else’s ballot.
· The list of in-person polling places can be found HERE
Requesting a Replacement Ballot
- If you do not receive your ballot, or it is damaged, not correctly voted or misplaced, you can request a replacement ballot by CLICKING HERE
Tracking Your Ballot
To confirm that your ballot was received:
- Login to the State of New Jersey’s Public Access System
- Your Voter ID Number may be needed to log if your Driver’s License number does not work
- Your Voter ID Number is a letter followed by 10 numeric digits and can be found:
- On the Vote by Mail Certificate above your address
- On your Sample Ballot
- By calling the Board of Elections at (856) 401-8683
- By calling the County Clerk at (856) 225-7219
- Click of MAIL-IN BALLOT HISTORY
- Review BALLOT STATUS to confirm if it was received
In-Person Voting
If a voter chooses to vote in-person at the polls:
- The polls will be open 6:00am to 8:00pm
- Voters will only be able to vote by paper Provisional Ballot at the Polls. You will not be able to vote in a machine.
- There will be a reduced number of Polling Places – at least one Polling Place per municipality and a minimum of 50% of its Polling Places. For polling places CLICK HERE
- No Sample Ballots will be sent, but a card listing your polling place will be sent prior to the election to each registered voter.
- At each of the polling places, there will be an accessible voting machine to comply with the ADA. To access the machine, the voter will need to certify, under the penalty of fraudulent voting, that they are unable to vote a paper ballot.
Sample Ballots
- Sample Ballots are available HERE
Results of the Election
- All votes (Vote by Mail, Provisional, and ADA machine) will be included in the final vote tally.
- The Vote by Mail ballots are counted first and will be included in the Election Night Results at the close of polls. Additional timely, valid Vote by Mail Ballots will be added to the results upon tallying.
- The ADA Machine tallies will be added to the results later on Election Day after the close of polls.
- Provisional ballots need to be verified to confirm that no Vote by Mail ballot was received, preventing the casting of multiple ballots, so they cannot be counted until all Vote by Mail ballots are received. For this election, this means that the In-Person votes will be tallied last.
Frequently Asked Questions
I normally vote at the polls. Why did I get a Vote by Mail Ballot?
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and to limit exposure, the Governor ordered the General Election to be conducted primarily by mail. Per the order, all active registered voters are automatically being sent a Vote by Mail ballot.
Will my vote count if I Vote by Mail?
If received timely, all ballots will be counted and included in the final results. As in every election, the Vote by Mail ballots will be counted first during Election Day, and because the Provisional ballots require verification to prevent casting multiple ballots, they must be counted last.
If you have never applied to Vote by Mail, do I always have to vote by mail?
No, this is a one-time event. If you do want to continue to receive ballots, you will need to complete a Vote by Mail application. For more Information and to access the Vote by Mail application, please visit our website www.camdencounty.com/vbm .
I have a disability that prevents me from voting by paper ballot. What ADA accommodations will be available?
You can contact the County Clerk’s Office to arrange to receive an accessible ballot or at each of the polling places, there will be an accessible voting machine. To access the machine, the voter will need to certify, under the penalty of fraudulent voting, that they are unable to vote a paper ballot.
Will my party affiliation be identifiable on the ballot envelope?
No, there is nothing on the envelope that will identify your political party affiliation.
What is the difference between a Vote by Mail Ballots, Mail-In Ballots, and Absentee Ballots?
There is no difference. While some people claim that there is a slight difference in how ballots are requested, in New Jersey, there is not a difference in how the ballots are processed and counted.
If I put a stamp on the ballot return envelope, will it be sent first class instead of bulk mail and get there faster?
Putting a stamp on the prepaid envelope will not change anything. First, the prepaid envelopes are first class. Second, regardless of the stamp, the barcodes on the ballot envelope will still send it to the PO Box through the same postal stream paths.
Can I still vote at the polls?
For those that wish to vote at the polls, there will be a limited number of polling places. At the polling places, voters will be able to vote by paper Provisional Ballot (which looks identical to this enclosed ballot). The notice of the location of your polling place will be mailed to you separately prior to the election.