NJ Ballots Go Out: What To Do If You Don't Get Yours

NEW JERSEY - As part of the primarily vote-by-mail mandate issued by Gov. Phil Murphy and codified by the legislature for the upcoming Nov. 3 election, all ballots to "active voters" were sent by the Garden State's county clerks by the Monday, Oct. 5 deadline.

So now what?

For those who have already received their ballots, it is simply a matter of filling them out and returning them. There are a variety of ways to return them, in person at a polling location on election day, mailing them back through the Unites State Postal Service or dropping them in a secure drop dox located in many municipalities.

What about those who haven't received their ballots yet? According to Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi, you wait.

In Morris County, Grossi's office mailed out a total of 358,000 ballots, including the last batch of 68,000 on Monday. According to Grossi, residents that don't receive their ballots by Oct. 15 are urged to contact her office.

But Grossi's guidance is not universal, as some clerks completed their mailings in September and all those ballots should be received.

So any resident that is concerned about not receiving theirs is encouraged to reach out to their local county clerk. That can be done through this website.

Ballots With Mistakes

Many New Jersey residents have received their ballots already, and some have received ballots that were in the wrong name, like a married or maiden name that was out of date, or for people who no longer live in that home.

Mackey told Patch in these cases it is most likely the voter's fault. According to Mackey, there are many reasons why these errors occur, but most boil down a database being only as good as its source material.

For example, when it comes to married vs. maiden names, the MVC automatic registration system is the culprit of most of them, Mackey said noting that the election board became aware of this and tried to get all of the duplicates merged before the ballots were sent out.

Those efforts were "mostly successful" but didn't get finished in time, Mackey said.

"Voters that have reached out to me with this issue, when I look them up, have had their voter records merged for the two names and the maiden deleted in the system so if they were to return that ballot it would be able to be scanned in," she told Patch. "Their married name remains active so they should shred the maiden and vote the married."

Mackey said if someone attempted to commit voter fraud it wouldn't work because the "deleted" (merged) record won't accept it.

When it comes to deceased people receiving ballots, the election board does get periodic reports from Social Security and municipal clerks, but it's not a perfect or comprehensive system, Mackey said.

County Clerks throughout New Jersey have voter forms on their websites to help keep the database up to date. A person attempting to forge a dead person's signature and commit a felony would most likely see that ballot rejected during the signature verification process.

Mackey said when it comes to people who move out of state, for whatever reason, the onus is on them to let the Board of Elections know.

"There is no automatic system," she said.

Mackey also said that her office has received nasty messages, phone calls and rude notes scribbled on ballots and that anger is misdirected.

"If it is a case of no longer at this address tell them to put 'return to sender no longer at this address' and send it back," she said, noting that this should be the case with any official election mail they get for the wrong person.

Like sample ballots.

Mackey said all registered voters get them and if voters were taking them and throwing them out for years, there would be no way for the election board, beyond telepathy, to know about it.

It is a good thing, Mackey believes, that the system works the way it does. Because according to her it protects voters.

"I think it is a good thing that people can't just be removed because someone calls and tells us they moved, or they passed away," she said. "It is for the voter's protection."

According to Mackey, this system protects against someone with a grudge denying you a right to vote.

"Let's say I am an evil ex-spouse or a neighbor who hates you. I send your mail back to the election board 'No longer lives here' or 'dead' and they remove you," she said "Then you go to vote and you aren't registered."

The current system requires an official signed documentation to remove people from the rolls.

"If it was just as easy as a phone call or a scribble on a piece of mail to remove your right to vote," Mackey said. "Imagine that."

Since the change to this year's election was announced by Murphy, there have been many questions about how the process will work. Below is some further reading on the Nov. 3 election process:

• Here's How NJ's Mail-In General Election Will Work: What To Know

A primarily vote-by-mail election means a lot of changes to election day. See what you can expect this November.

• What's A NJ Provisional Ballot? How Does It Work? Patch Found Out

Those not needing an ADA compliant booth will need a provisional ballot to vote in-person. Here is what that will look like.

• Do Mail-In Ballots Force NJ Voters To Lie? Here's The Answer

There was language on the primary ballots asked voters certify they requested the ballot, even if they didn't.

• How Are Election Signatures Verified In NJ? Patch Found Out

Voters wondering how their signatures are checked before the upcoming election can see the process for themselves.

• How To Register, Track Your General Election Vote Online In NJ

Need to register for the upcoming election? Want to track your vote once you do? Read on to learn how.

• Key 2020 Voting Deadlines In New Jersey

Here is a recap of important dates to remember with upcoming election, all in one place.

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