League Of Women Voters Of Montclair Issues Election Reminders – Montclair, NJ Patch

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area (LWVM) area believes that New Jersey voters need our trusted, nonpartisan voice now, more than ever, to help understand all their voting options including how to cast a mail-in ballot, how to return their ballot, and what to expect if they vote in-person. We are working to keep voters updated and safe amid ever-changing election information. Please see the information below. We expect to release additional information if/when it becomes available. We are facing an enormous task, but we are ready and 100% committed to protecting the sacred right to vote. After all, the women who founded the League of Women Voters secured the passage of the 19th Amendment during the 1918 Flu Pandemic, overcoming death, social distancing, cancelled rallies, and counter-protests. Strength and resilience in the face of adversity is in the DNA of the League women and men on the ground empowering and defending democracy today.

August 14 – VOTE-BY-MAIL. Governor Murphy announced that the November General Election will be “vote-by-mail”.

October 5 – POSTAGE-PAID BALLOTS. The Essex County Clerk will mail a postage-paid ballot to all registered voters by October 5.

October 13 – VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE. To register new voters, to change name and/or address of existing voter, or to update signatures, a voter registration form must be received by the Essex County Clerk by October 13. This form may be completed online but then it must be printed out and a hard copy mailed to the County Clerk (https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/forms-voter-registration/68-voter-registration-english-essex.pdf.) Alternatively, for people who do not have a printer, hard copies of the form are available from the LWVM by contacting Susan Mack – susanmack@verizon.net or Carmel Loughman – cloughman@gmail.com.

November 3 – Election Day. Voters will be able to return the vote-by-mail ballot by prepaid mail, or by depositing it in a secure drop box, or by handing it directly to a poll worker at a polling place on Election Day. Each municipality will be required to open at least one in-person polling site. Any voter who chooses to cast a vote in-person will do so on a provisional ballot. Any voter who did not receive a vote-by-mail ballot may cast a provisional ballot at a polling location. (A provisional ballot is used to record a vote when there are questions about a voter’s eligibility that must be resolved before the vote can count.) Individuals with a qualifying disability will have access to an ADA-conforming voting machine. Given the challenges the post office is facing, we recommend using a ballot box or a polling place location on or before Election Day. The location of ballot boxes will be known shortly.

November 10 – VOTE-BY-MAIL. All ballots being returned through the mail must be postmarked by November 3rd and received no later than 8 pm on November 10.

Formerly incarcerated – In December 2019, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill restoring voting rights to more than 80,000 people who are on probation or parole, making New Jersey one of several states to enact legislation granting formerly incarcerated people access to the ballot box. Formerly incarcerated people have to register in order to vote, even if they were registered before incarceration.