Voting By Mail In NJ Amid Coronavirus: Here's A Patch Survey

NEW JERSEY — Voters in New Jersey who have requested mail-in ballots will begin receiving them soon. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of people are expected to cast their ballots in this manner for the Nov. 3 election.

Will it be a catastrophe? Or could it be just the right response given that many voters may be reluctant to vote in-person amid the outbreak?

Now you can let your voice be heard by taking the Patch survey (fill out the form below).

For those not familiar with the vote-by-mail process in New Jersey, how it will work:

• Gov. Phil Murphy said every voter will be mailed a ballot that they can fill out and mail back. Because of delays in US Postal Service deliveries, however, election advocates advise people to send them back no later than Oct. 15.
• The ballots will be mailed to voters by Oct. 5. You will receive it from your county clerk.
• Mail-in ballots must bear a postmark on or before Election Day or they won't be counted. They must be received by 8 p.m. Nov. 10.
• Drop boxes will be set up if you'd rather avoid the U.S. Postal Service. You can find drop boxes here, but Murphy plans to expand the number of them.
• Murphy said people can also submit the voter-by-mail ballot at a polling place on Election Day.
• Ballots that lack postmarks because of postal error need to be received by 8 p.m. Nov. 5 to be counted.

Read more: NJ Vote-By-Mail Concerns? Patch Asked A County Clerk For Answers

Recent operational changes within the US Postal Service have reportedly led to widespread mail delays, elimination of overtime for postal workers, carriers being instructed to leave mail behind and the decommissioning of mail sorting machines.

President Trump has also tried to stir the pot, coming up with unfounded conspiracy theories about trouble with vote by mail in New Jersey.

Given this situation, Patch wants to hear from readers about their intentions for voting in the upcoming election. Take our quick survey (below) and let us know what you think. Thanks in advance for participating.

Patch has created this survey to find out what readers think about mail-in voting. The survey is not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but is meant only to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way.

Here it is: