Burlington County Clerk’s Office Answers Questions About Vote-by-Mail

This year’s General Election will be held November 3, but voters don’t need to wait until then to exercise their right to vote.

Vote-by-mail ballots are still available for any registered voter who would like to vote that way. More than 52,000 vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots have already been issued to voters who requested one, and voters can still apply to receive one before the election.

Registered voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot online at vote.nj.gov or at https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/mib-request. A VBM request form is also available online at Vote-by-Mail Ballot Application (PDF).

Applications must be in the hands of the Burlington County Clerk’s Office no later than October 27 for ballots to be mailed to a voter. After that date, registered voters should go to either the Burlington County Clerk’s Office at 50 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, or the Burlington County Elections Building (301 Harper Drive, Moorestown), to receive a VBM ballot.

“Vote-by-mail is a simple, secure, and legal method for voters to cast their ballot when it’s most convenient for them and their schedule,” said Burlington County Clerk Joanne Schwartz. “For students away at college or others who are homebound or traveling on Election Day, it’s particularly important, which is why we remind voters who want to request a ballot to submit their applications before October 27 so we can get their ballot mailed out to them in time.”

For those planning or considering voting with a VBM ballot, here are some answers to several of the most frequent questions about the process:

Question: I attend college away from home, is it too late to request a vote-by-mail ballot?

Answer: No. If the Burlington County Clerk’s office has your VBM application by October 27, a ballot can be mailed to your college address.

Question: I requested a VBM ballot, but it hasn’t arrived yet; what should I do? 

Answer: Please call the Burlington County Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5229 to check your status and potentially request a new ballot be sent to you.

Question: I received my VBM ballot, but marked it wrong; what should I do?

Answer: Please call the County Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5229 to request a duplicate ballot and then destroy the erroneously marked ballot.

Question: I received my VBM ballot but would prefer to vote in-person with a machine, what should I do? 

Answer: Voters who received a VBM ballot may vote in-person during the early voting period or on Election Day, but they will have to cast a provisional ballot so the Board of Elections can verify that only one ballot was cast per voter.

Question: My VBM ballot arrived but appears to have already been damaged or already opened, what should I do?

Answer: Please call the County Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5229 to request a duplicate ballot and then destroy the original damaged one.

Question: A family member has died but a VBM ballot with their name arrived in the mail, what should I do?

Answer: The ballot should be shredded, recycled, or otherwise destroyed. Then, please call the Superintendent of Elections Office to have your family member’s voting record updated and removed from the registered voters list. The Superintendent of Elections Office can be reached at 609-265-5111.

Question: I don’t remember requesting a VBM ballot but one arrived in the mail, what should I do?

Answer: Please call the County Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5229 to check your status.

Question: I submitted my VBM ballot but can’t remember if I signed it, is there a way to check? 

Answer: Please call the Burlington County Board of Elections at 609-265-5557 to check your ballot’s status and find out how to resolve your signature issue.

Question: I submitted a VBM ballot via mail or drop box and want to know if it arrived at the Board of Elections; can I check?

Answer: Yes. Voters can track the status of their submitted vote-by-mail ballot online at https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote-track-my-ballot.shtml.

Question: A family member or friend wants me to pick up their vote-by-mail ballot; what should I do? 

Answer: The person requesting a vote-by-mail ballot should complete the VBM application, including the Authorized Messenger portion (section 11). Then, whoever is picking up the ballot should bring the filled out application and a government-issued photo ID to the County Clerk’s Office. The Clerk’s Office will process the application and return the ballot to the person serving as the “messenger.”

Question: I am homebound, can a family member or friend bring my completed VBM ballot to the Board of Elections Office or place it in a ballot drop box for me?

Answer: Yes, but there are additional requirements and restrictions. If the person transporting and delivering the ballots – called a ballot “bearer” is an immediate family member who resides in your home, then they can legally transport and deliver as many as five ballots from the same household to the Elections Board or a drop box. A ballot bearer who is not a family-member from your home can still deliver your ballot, but they may carry and deliver no more than three ballots.

ALL ballot bearers MUST SIGN the “Bearer Portion” of the outer envelop of the VBM ballot in the presence of the voter when taking custody of the ballot. Bearers bringing VBM ballots directly to the Board of Elections must also bring and show ID and sign the Ballot Bearer Book.

Question: I am or will be out of the country for this election. How can I get my ballot?

Answer: Go to FVAP.GOV and fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Choose to have your ballot emailed to you. Submit the completed FPCA to osballot@co.burlington.nj.us by October 30 and the Clerk’s Office will email your ballot to you.

For other questions about vote-by-mail, please contact the Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5229 or votebymail@co.burlington.nj.us.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.