Upcoming Elections
2009 Primary Election: 06/2/09
2009 General Election: 11/3/09
Click here for the full list of important 2009 election dates.
Polling Place Hours: Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voter Registration Information
Click here for a New Jersey Voter Registration Guide created by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its pro bono law firm partners
Registration Deadlines
21 days before the General Election
Deadline for 2009 General Election: October 13, 2009
Identification Required for Registration
An individual wishing to register to vote must provide their driver's license number, or the last four digits of their social security number. If they do not have such numbers, they will need to provide a copy of an acceptable identifying document.
An acceptable identifying document includes:
- A current and valid photo I.D.; A copy of a bank statement, paycheck, utility bill, government check or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.
- Some examples of a photo I.D. are:
- driver's license
- motor vehicle identification card
- U.S. passport
- student I.D.
- employment I.D.
- professional I.D.
- store membership I.D
- county government I.D.
- A government document could include a motor vehicle registration, public assistance card.
How to Check Registration
Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE
Contact your County Elections Official
Voting Information
Identification Required to Vote
Pursuant to the federal "Help America Vote Act of 2002" (HAVA), if you registered to vote by mail in your county after January 1, 2003, and never voted in a federal election in the county, you were required to provide your county commissioner of registration with identification.
If a voter does not provide identification to the county commissioner of registration or if the identification information could not be verified (i.e., the voter's driver's license number or the last four digits of their social security number), THEY MUST SHOW IDENTIFICATION AT THE POLLING PLACE WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE.
Identification consists of (1) a current and valid photo identification card; (2) a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or pay check; (3) any other government document that shows the voter's name and current address; or (4) any other identifying document that the Attorney General has determined to be acceptable for this purpose.
Identification may include, but not limited to:
- Any Current and Valid Photo ID:
- Driver's license
- Student or job ID
- Military or other government ID
- Store membership ID
- United States passport
OR
- Bank statement
- Car registration
- Government check or document
- Non-photo driver's license
- Rent receipt
- Sample ballot
- Utility bill
- or any other official document
How to Find Your Polling Place
Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE
Visit the New Jersey Division of Elections website
Absentee Voting
Click here to visit GoVoteAbsentee.org, a resource for absentee voters.
In New Jersey, any voter can now vote by Absentee Ballot for any election.
Rules and Deadlines:
Absentee Ballot Application By Mail
- At any time not less than seven days prior to an election, a military service or civilian absentee voter may apply to the county clerk for an absentee ballot.
- Last day to receive mail applications for military service and civilian absentee ballots: October 27, 2009.
Absentee Ballot Application In Person
- Any civilian absentee voter who fails to apply by mail, for an absentee ballot 7 days prior to the general election (October 27) may apply in person, or by authorized messenger if the voter is sick or confined, to the county clerk on any day up to 3:00 p.m. of the day before the election.
- Deadline for Civilian Absentee Ballot Application in Person: 3:00pm November 2, 2009.
Returning Absentee Ballots
- Absentee ballots may be returned to the county boards of election to which it is addressed or delivered personally by the voter or by authorized messenger up until 8:00 p.m. on the day of election.
- An absentee ballot must be RECEIVED by the County Board of Elections no later then 8 p.m. on Election Day.
- A voter may NOT vote at the polls if they have received an absentee ballot, even if the circumstances that caused them to apply to vote absentee has changed. That voter must vote the absentee ballot.
Early Voting
New Jersey does not have early voting, but anyone may vote "absentee in-person" at the county clerk's office up to 3:00 p.m. of the day before the election.
Information For People who have Moved or Changed Addresses
Moving Within the Same County
- If a voter has moved from a registered address to another address in the same county and did not submit a change of address form to the county commissioner of registration, the voter can vote a provisional ballot at their new polling place.
Moving to a Different County
- If a voter has moved to a different county on or before the 29th day before the election, the voter must re-register before the registration deadline ends in their new county of residence in order to vote.
- If a voter has moved to a different county after the 29th day before the election and has not submitted a change of address form to the county commissioner of registration, that voter can vote at their old polling place in their former county after filling out an affidavit to vote.
Information for People with Felony Convictions
In New Jersey, ex-felons can register to vote. Any person who is no longer in prison, or has completed his or her term of probation or parole can register to vote.
For more information, go to the Secretary of State's website.
