Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
How To Vote In NJ's Vote-By-Mail Election
By
Nancy Solomon
Published Oct 26, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock
By
Nancy Solomon
Published Oct 26, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Due to the pandemic, New Jersey's general election is now a vote-by-mail election. Read our answers to your questions on how to vote in New Jersey (yes, you can vote in person). And let us know what you think about VBM—you can email us at [email protected].
I haven’t been able to get through to my County Clerk and now the deadline has passed to get a ballot mailed to me. What should I do?
At this point, if your ballot hasn’t arrived, you can do two things. You can go to your county elections office to request a ballot in person. While you’re there, if you prefer, you can fill it out and submit it—or take it home and mail it back. You can also vote at your polling place on Election Day with a paper provisional ballot.
What do I do if I need to reopen my envelope because I forgot to vote on the backside?
Do not open your envelope and reseal with tape. You must get a new ballot or vote in person.
I am hearing about so many problems with the mail in ballots that I’m afraid my vote won’t be counted. Should I vote in person?
You can vote in person if you’re uncomfortable with mail-in voting or if you have a problem with your ballot. There are fewer polling places this year, so be sure to check the location.
If you go to the polls, you don’t use a machine, it’s a paper provisional ballot. These are counted last, but the League of Women Voters says it’s a perfectly valid way to vote and that no one should be discouraged from voting with a provisional ballot on election day. It’s counted last because election workers need to check that the voter didn’t already submit a mail ballot, but the important thing is that it will be counted.
Why can’t the machines be used?
Because the voter rolls are not electronic, so when a voter arrives on election day and votes by machine, there’s no way for poll workers to make sure that person hasn’t already voted.
Usually, the absentee ballots would be counted after the machines, and checked against the machine vote to make sure no one voted twice. Now the mailed ballots will be counted first, then the provisional ballots.
I went to the ballot tracker on the state elections website, but it says I’m not registered even though I already sent my ballot in. How do I fix that?
You have to put in your information exactly as it matches the state registration rolls. Try it with different numbers, either the last four of your social security or your driver's license.
When will New Jersey have election results?
It took more than a month after the July primary, but the state made changes to improve this. Election workers were allowed to start counting 10 days before Election Day. But it will depend on the number of people who vote provisional, since those ballots must be cross-checked against the list of those who submitted a mail ballot. If it’s a small percent, it will only matter in close races. But if it’s a large percent, it could delay all results for several days because mailed-in ballots will be counted for a week—until November 10th.
I’ve heard there were problems with the post office not postmarking all ballots—what happens if I mail mine on Election Day and it doesn’t have a postmark?
Ballots that arrive within 48 hours of Election Day, November 3rd, will be accepted without a postmark.
Need a refresher on what's on the ballot? Check out our WNYC/Gothamist Voter Guide below:
Tagged
new jersey
election 2020
Nancy Solomon
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgrade
The improvements to at the Reid & Park Rock developments come has the agency wrestles with a multibillion-dollar backlog in needed repairs.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins
Some consumers will face higher prices partly brought on by federal spending cuts.
By
Caroline Lewis
News
What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins
Some consumers will face higher prices partly brought on by federal spending cuts.
By
Caroline Lewis
Why New Yorkers should care about bats beyond spooky season
By
Catalina Gonella
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .