Burlington Co. Seeks Voter Input On Issue-Plagued Election Day

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Burlington County wants input from local voters as they investigate an Election Day filled with long wait times and glitching voting machines.

County election officials are reviewing what went wrong at polling locations on Nov. 5. A written report with findings and recommendations is expected to be complete and made public by Jan. 30, officials said.

The county's new voting machines came under fire as various technical issues delayed voters, pushing lines out the door at polling places across Burlington County. An Election Day lawsuit from the state attorney general led to a court order that kept the voting locations open later that night.

Burlington County is examining issues with its machinery and whether enough voting machines were deployed. Election procedures and processes will also be reviewed.

Residents who wish to share their thoughts can submit written accounts of their experiences and concerns to 2024Election@co.burlington.nj.us. Officials will use the information to develop findings and make recommendations.

Burlington County's Democratic and Republican party chairs both called for the review, which the county commissioners echoed. The Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices are conducting the investigation.

All votes will be counted, officials say.

"The Commissioners are also calling on the Board of Elections and the Superintendent of Elections to work around the clock to restore public confidence and certify the election results," the county said in a statement.

The county replaced its old fleet of switch-based machines, which became increasingly likely to malfunction or fail with no way to repair or replace them, according to the Burlington County commissioners.

Over the last few years, the new machines have been used sparingly. But Nov. 5 marked the first General Election in which they were used at all polling places.

The county had 560 ballot-marking devices at its polling locations on Election Day — 40 more than in 2016, the last presidential election conducted primarily through in-person voting.

Although the bulk of votes have been tallied, the county elections board is still processing vote-by-mail, provisional and emergency ballots. All election results remain unofficial until the county clerk certifies them later this month.

To check the status of your vote, visit the state's track-my-ballot webpage. Mail-in votes will not be updated to "accepted" until the ballot count is complete.