Voter Suppression Is Real, Says Morristown Woman

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Marina Matalon said she did everything a voter is supposed to do to participate in the democratic process but still found herself scrambling at the last minute as the vote-by-mail ballots she requested did not arrive until Election Day.

"I requested mail-in ballots from New Jersey on three separate occasions because they repeatedly weren't arriving to my Baltimore address," Matalon told Patch. "Until yesterday [Election Day]. They all miraculously arrived only after polls have closed, making it impossible to put any of them to use. These ballots were postmarked in mid-October, all on different days, yet didn’t reach me in Baltimore until after the election."

Patch contacted the U.S. Postal Service, and a New Jersey spokesperson said they reached out to Baltimore and are still researching what may have affected the mail delivery.

In the photo provided to Patch, the three ballots have three different postmarks, dating back to the beginning of October.

"I’ve been going to school in Baltimore for three years, but my apartment lease in Baltimore began December 2019. I still live part-time in Morristown with my parents," Matalon said. "My license is still for NJ. My bank statements and utility bills come to Baltimore, but some other mail goes to Morristown."

Matalon said she has been receiving ballots from Morristown in Baltimore for three years.

"Previous absentee ballots have been sent to my school address. In early October, I mailed a new absentee ballot request form for my new apartment in Baltimore," she said.

And when she didn't receive the ballot, she followed up with the county clerk.

"I was in contact with the Morris County Clerk throughout the past month, confirming my ballot was mailed. Then, each time my ballot didn’t show up, I was in contact with them again to rush a new ballot," Matalon said.

But despite those efforts, those ballots ended up arriving too late for her to use. But that didn't stop Matalon from participating in the process. When her ballots didn't arrive, she was able to change her registration to Maryland and vote the same day.

"That is an opportunity most states don't allow, including NJ," she said. "Not everyone has the resources to strategize how they can vote when their ballots are being kept from them."

Matalon noted that she was lucky she had a car and utility bills and bank statements to be able to vote last-minute in Maryland. She also said that the incident put into focus the broader issue when it comes to voting concerns.

"Voter suppression is real," she said.

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