frequently asked questions

• Vote in Person on Election Day! 

- Tuesday, November 5, 2024

• Early in Person Voting 

- Saturday, October 26 to November 3, 2024.  Polls are open from at least 10:00 AM to 8 PM on Mondays through Saturdays, and from 10 AM to 6 PM on Sundays.  

• Vote-by-Mail 

- Mail back your ballot

- Drop the ballot in the secure drop boxes 

- Drop your ballot off at Board of Elections

 A provisional ballot is cast by a voter whose eligibility to vote cannot be confirmed at the polls on Election Day or if they have applied for a vote-by-mail ballot. If, after the election, it is determined that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was eligible to vote, the ballot will be counted.

Yes, if you choose to leave a race or question blank, your other votes will still be counted.

 In the Primary Election you may vote for the candidate(s) of your choice representing the party in which you are registered. NJ recognizes the Democrat and Republican parties. You may only vote for the number of candidate(s) permitted for the office that you are casting a vote for. Example – Senate - Vote for One- you may only vote for one.

 Voting for more than one creates an “Over Vote” which disqualifies the vote cast for that office. Please remember to check the back and any additional pages of your ballot to ensure that you have reviewed all offices up for election.

If you are an unaffiliated voter (a voter that has not declared a party) you may be eligible to vote in the Primary Election. You must declare a party when voting at your polling location or select one ballot, Democrat or Republican, if voting by mail.

In a General Election you do not have to vote for the candidate(s) of the same party.

Please remember to check the back and any additional pages of your ballot to ensure that you have reviewed all offices up for election and any ballot questions.

The Voter Registration deadline is 21 days before the election. 

DEADLINE FOR 2024 GENERAL ELECTION:

October 15, 2024

The main way the counties receive this information is via the sample ballots that are sent prior to each election. If a sample ballot is returned as undeliverable or indicates the voter has moved out of county/state, that voter is put into an “Inactive” status and is sent a confirmation notice informing them that they have until the second federal general election after the date of the notice to update their voting record or appear to vote and complete the necessary form or they will be removed from the voting rolls.

Inactive voters do not get sample ballots and are not eligible to receive a vote by mail ballot until they are put back into an Active status. To update your record to active status through the online voter registration or using a paper registration form..

 Every Active registered voter is eligible to request a Mail-in Ballot.

Please contact your county clerk to submit a request. If you would like to receive your ballot by mail you must request your ballot not less than 7 days before an election.

General Election – October 29, 2024

Otherwise, you must get your Mail-in Ballot in-person from your county clerk, by 3 p.m. the day before Election Day.

General Election – November 4, 2024

You have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to return your ballot to the Board of Elections in person or deposit it in one of your county’s secure authorized ballot drop boxes. You can also mail your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

You can find your County Clerk contact information here.

Check whether or not you are an active vote-by-mail voter at Vote.NJ.Gov, under “Track My Ballot.” If you are registered to vote by mail in an election, you must opt out, in order to cast a ballot in person on a machine at an early voting location. To opt out, contact your County Clerk.

A ballot drop box is a secure, locked structure operated by election officials where voters may deliver their ballots from the time they receive them in the mail up to the time polls close at 8 pm on Election Day. There will be at least 10 drop boxes located throughout each county, which will be available 24 hours a day. Drop boxes will be under surveillance by security cameras and collected daily by county election officials.