New Jersey

Land Acknowledgement

New Jersey has three state-recognized tribes the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape People, the Powhatan Renape Nation, and the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation. it is also the traditional homeland of many tribes.

Overview

You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person. The deadline to register to vote is October 18. New Jersey accepts many forms of identifying documents for voting. Check below for a detailed list.

Key Dates

October 18 - Voter registration deadline

October 29 - Early voting begins

November 1 - Deadline to request a mail-in ballot by mail

November 6 - Early voting ends

November 7 - Deadline to request a mail-in ballot in person

November 8 - Election Day

November 8 - Day by which a mail-in ballot must be postmarked or dropped off

November 14 - Day by which a mail-in ballot must be received

Contacts

New Jersey Voting Hotline: (877) 658-6837

County Election Officials

New Jersey Voting Guide

Note: The information below is not legal advice on how to vote. Because voting information is changing rapidly during this election, make sure you check the links provided and check with your state about deadlines and voting specifics.

Registering to Vote

  • The voter registration deadline is October 18.

  • No.

  • To register to vote online you will need your date of birth and either a New Jersey driver's license, State ID, or Social Security Number. You can register to vote via a paper application without any of these documents. If you are registering to vote for the first time and submit your application by mail, you will be asked to provide a copy of a current photo ID or a document with your name and current address on it. If you do not provide a copy of ID, you will have to provide ID at your polling place.

  • New Jersey asks you to provide a home address that is not a P.O. Box. If you receive mail at an address different from your home address, you are asked to provide that mailing address. If you do not have a fixed address, you can provide a point of contact or a location where you spend most of your time.

  • If you have any questions about address validity, contact your County Election Official, which you can find here.

  • You can get a New Jersey ID here.

  • Yes. You can register to vote online here. if you have a New Jersey driver's license, State ID, or a Social Security Number.

  • No.

  • Yes. You can register to vote in person with your County Election Official. Find their information here.

  • Yes. You can download and print your county-specific paper registration application here: https://nj.gov/state/elections/voter-registration.shtml#vrf Once completed, send it to your County Commissioner. Their information can be found here.

  • Yes. As long as you are not currently incarcerated, you have the right to vote in New Jersey.

  • You can contact your County Election Official with specific questions about registering to vote. Find their contact information here.

  • The voter registration deadline is October 18.

  • Yes, under federal law you can assist someone in registering to vote if they do not speak English well, if they have trouble reading or writing, or if they have a disability.

Checking & Updating Voter Registration

  • You can check your voter registration online here.

  • You can call your County Election Official to check your voter registration. Find their contact information here.

  • You can update your voter registration online here or by re-registering using a paper application.

  • No. You only need to re-register if you have been placed on the Inactive Voter status. The main way you become an inactive voter is if a sample ballot is returned to the county as undeliverable. If you are moved to Inactive status, you will be sent a confirmation notice informing you that you have until the second federal general election after the date of the notice to update your voting record or reappear to vote or you will be removed from the voting roles. You can check your voter registration status here.

Voting by Mail/Absentee/Ballot Drop-Off

  • You can get a mail-in ballot for any reason by submitting an application to your County Board of Elections or by requesting one from your County Clerk. Ballots must be received by November 8 if you are dropping them off, or postmarked by November 8 and received by November 14 if you are mailing them in. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is November 7 in person of November 1 by mail.

  • Yes. Please check that you have filled out all required fields and signed your ballot. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot a week before the deadline to ensure your ballot is received on time. However, please factor in your personal experience with mail delivery times to and from your place of residence or where you drop off your ballot.

  • You can get a mail-in ballot by submitting an application to you County Election Official. Find your county-specific application form here. You can also get a mail-in ballot by requesting one from your County Clerk. Find contact information here.

  • No.

  • Yes.

  • The deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot by mail is November 1. The deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot in person is 3PM on November 7. However, you should request your ballot as soon as possible to give time to receive and return the ballot.

  • New Jersey will begin sending out mail-in ballots September 24.

  • Absentee Election Managers are required to send ballots no later than the next business day after the absentee ballot request form is received.

  • You can have your ballot sent to any mailing address that you supply on your mail-in ballot application.

  • Maybe. Pre-paid postage varies by county. Contact your County Election Official here.

  • Ballots must be postmarked by November 8 by 8PM and received by November 14 by 8PM. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot one week prior to the state deadline, but mail in your ballot as soon as possible.

  • Ballots must be received by November 7 by 5PM if you are returning it in person and by November 8 by 5PM if you are returning it by mail. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot one week prior to the state deadline, but mail in your ballot as soon as possible.

  • Yes. You can drop your ballot off to your County Board of Elections or to a Secure Ballot Drop Box. If you are dropping off your ballot, it must be received by November 8 by 8PM. Find a ballot box here.

  • You can designate someone else to return your ballot for you. That person must present ID when delivering your ballot. That person cannot return more than three ballots unless they are returning ballots for immediate family members that live in the same house, in which case the person returning ballots can return up to five ballots.

  • No. You are the only person who can return your ballot by mail or hand delivery. If you are voting by emergency absentee ballot, you may have a designee to return your ballot.

  • No. Ballots must be sent through USPS.

  • No.

  • Your ballot will not be counted if you do not complete the certification steps attached to your mail-in ballot or if your signature is missing or does not match the signature on your voter record. If there is an issue with your signature, your County Board of Elections will provide you with an opportunity to certify your ballot.

  • Yes. You can track your ballot here. You can also call (877) 658-6837 to check the status of your ballot.

  • You can contact your County Election Official with issues about your mail-in ballot. Find contact information here.

Voting In-Person

  • Find your polling place and hours here.

  • No.

  • Yes. Early voting is from October 29 through November 6.

  • You do not have to provide ID to vote in person unless one of the following applies to you. You may be asked to show ID if:

    • you are a first time voter and have not previously provided a copy of your identification

    • you did not complete Section 5 of your voter registration application and did not respond to a request for that information

    • or you registered by mail and the identification numbers you provided could not be verified.

    If the above applies, there are a variety of accepted identifying documents. Any valid and current photo ID allows you to vote, including but not limited to:

    • New Jersey driver's license

    • State ID

    • Military or other government ID

    • Student or Job ID

    • Store Membership Card.

    Additionally, any current document with your name and address on it counts, including but not limited to:

    • bank statement

    • car registration

    • sample ballot

    • utility bill

    • pay check

    • rent receipt

    • government check or document

    • non-photo New Jersey driver's license.

    If you do not have any form of identification on Election Day, you can vote a provisional ballot.

  • Check the list above as many identifying documents allow you to vote. You can also get a New Jersey ID here.

  • Yes.

  • Yes. Under federal law (Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act), you are entitled to bring anyone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or neighbor, to the polling place AND into the polling booth to assist with voting. However, that person may not be your employer, running in the election, or a representative of your labor union. The person giving assistance also may not tell the voter how to vote.

  • If you have any questions about voting in person, contact your County Election Official, whose contact information can be found here. You can also contact the New Jersey voting hotline at (877) 658-6837.