Burlington County voters will have several options to safely and securely cast their ballots in the upcoming November General Election under the county’s plan for compliance with recent New Jersey laws and executive orders mandating the election be held largely with Vote by Mail ballots.
The implementation plan was approved by the county Board of Elections with input from both the county clerk and Superintendent of Elections Office. It calls for Vote by Mail ballots to be sent to all registered voters no later than Oct. 5 and for the county to immediately begin accepting and processing returned ballots delivered to the Election Board or deposited in secure ballot boxes.
Registered voters will automatically receive a Vote by Mail ballot by Oct. 13 and do not need to apply for one unless they need it sent to an address different than the residence where they are registered. Voters who don’t receive their ballot by Oct. 13 or who wish to request a ballot be sent to an address different from the one listed on their voter registration should call the Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5229.
“The coronavirus pandemic has created challenges, but we’re committed to doing what’s required to ensure our county’s citizens can safely participate in the upcoming election. Our biggest concern is making sure voters are aware of the changed format and that their ballot will be mailed to them,” County Clerk Joanne Schwartz said in a prepared statement. “Voters should be on the lookout for their vote-by-mail ballot the first week of October and be careful not to discard or damage it. We also want them to be aware of all the options available to submit their ballots, including secure drop boxes and in-person delivery to the Board of Elections Office and delivering it to their polling location.”
Voters should follow all the directions and make sure their completed ballot is signed and placed in the prepaid postage envelopes provided before submitting them via mail or with drop boxes. .
Drop box locations
A total of 13 ballot drop boxes will be placed at secure locations across the county as part of the plan. The total is eight more than the five drop boxes used for the July primary election and should provide county voters with additional options to deliver their completed ballots before or on the Nov. 3 election date.
“At nearly 820-square miles, Burlington County is by far the largest of New Jersey’s 21 counties in terms of area, so we’re pleased that the county has received the additional drop boxes so our voters have more options to safely cast their ballots,” Joseph Dugan, chair of the county Election Board, said in the statement.
The drop boxes will be accessible 24 hours a day and will be subject to video surveillance and other security measures. They will be placed at the following locations:
Burlington Township Municipal Building, 851 Old York Road
Chesterfield Township Municipal Building, 300 Bordentown Chesterfield Rd
Cinnaminson Municipal Building, 1621 Riverton Road
Evesham Township Municipal Building, 984 Tuckerton Road
Lumberton Township Municipal Building, 35 Municipal Drive
Mansfield Municipal Building, 3135 Route 206 South
Maple Shade Municipal Building, 200 Stiles Ave
Medford Township Public Safety Building, 91 Union Street
Moorestown Town Hall, 111 W 2nd Street
Mount Holly at the Burlington County Board of Elections Office, 50 Rancocas Road
Mount Laurel Municipal Building, 100 Mount Laurel Road
Pemberton Community Library, 16 Broadway Street
Willingboro Township Municipal Complex, 1 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
In addition to the drop boxes, voters will also be permitted to deliver their sealed ballots to the county Board of Elections Office on Rancocas Road in Mount Holly. Those ballots may be personally returned by the voter or delivered by an authorized “ballot bearer” who agrees to hand deliver it to the Election Board.
Ballot bearers may deliver no more than three ballots and must provide identification to the Election Board and sign the bearer book recording that they transported the ballots to the office and delivered them.
Vote-by-mail ballots must be post marked on or before Nov. 3 in order to be counted or delivered to drop boxes, the Election Board office or appropriate polling locations before 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters will also be able to track their ballots via the state Division of Elections new online voter information portal, nj.gov/state/elections, to ensure they were delivered to the county Clerk and processed.
Polling locations
Voters may personally deliver their own sealed Vote by Mail ballot to polling locations that will open on Election Day in every Burlington County town. At least one location will be open in every municipality and several towns will have multiple locations.
A searchable polling location database is available online at voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search.
In addition to being open for ballot deliveries, voters will be permitted to vote in-person at the polling locations with provisional ballots. Accommodations will also be available for voters with disabilities, including machine voting for those who are unable to complete and sign a provisional ballot.
Safety measures
Voters coming to the polls on Election Day will be asked to wear masks or other face coverings and follow the appropriate social-distancing guidelines to protect their own health and the health of other voters and poll workers.
All poll workers will be required to wear masks and gloves.
“The pandemic has forced us all to adjust and make changes in our daily lives and activities. The election is no different, but I’m proud of the steps we’re taking to ensure that voters can still cast their ballots easily and safely,” County Superintendent of Elections George Kotch said in the statement.
The deadline for citizens to register to vote is Oct. 13. Residents can register or make changes to their voter registration information through the Superintendent of Elections Office at co.burlington.nj.us/301/Superintendent-of-Elections or through the state Elections website, nj.gov/state/elections.
