MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi explains the Vote by Mail Process.
Morris County Clerk Ann F. Grossi advises Morris County voters that Governor Murphy’s Executive Order #177 signed on August 14 mandates significant changes to the November 3rd General Election because of COVID-19 Public Health concerns.
Like the July 7 Primary Election, the General Election will be conducted primarily by mail-in-ballot, with limited polling locations open for voting on paper provisional ballots only. According to the Governor’s Executive Order, the following will happen:
1. All registered active voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot by mail on or before October 5. Similar to the Primary Election, the County Clerk’s Office will provide a postage-paid envelope to return the mail-in-ballot. No stamp is required.
2. Voters may return their completed mail-in ballot to the Board of Elections through the following methods: a) by mail through the USPS, b) through the use of 10 drop boxes located throughout Morris County, which will be established by the Board of Elections, c) in-person delivery to the Board of Election Office, or d) by submitting their own ballot in-person at their assigned 2020 General Election polling location.
3. Sample ballots will not be mailed to voters for the General Elections. However, in lieu of a Sample Ballot, a card containing the voter’s polling location and other pertinent information will be mailed to each voter.
4. A limited number of polling places established by the Board of Elections will be available for voters on November 3.
5. Voters who go to their polling location to vote and have not voted by mail will be permitted to vote only on a paper Provisional Ballot.
6. Ballots that are returned in person or via a dropbox must be received by the Board of Elections by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day and will be considered valid and shall be canvassed, provided that they meet all other statutory requirements.
7. Ballots that are mailed and postmarked by Election Day and received by the Board of Elections no later than 8:00 p.m. on November 10 will be accepted and canvassed provided that they meet all other statutory requirements.
8. Voters whose ballots are rejected by the Board of Elections for a missing or discrepant signature shall be given the opportunity to cure the signature defect. Voters can check the status of their returned ballots by using the NJ Division of Elections’ by clicking here.
Click here to read the full Executive Order #177 for detailed information.
