Important Message for Union County Voters – Patch.com

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi urgently reminds Union County voters to use a Vote-by-Mail ballot marked “General Election” in order to participate in the 2020 General Election.

“Several ballots marked ‘Primary Election’ have been received by the Board of Elections, so it appears that some voters are using old, out-of-date ballots left over from last summer,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “The County Clerk’s office destroys unused Primary Election ballots immediately after the election. If you still have a Primary Election ballot at home, please tear it up now and throw it in your recycling bin.”

“If you have already sent in a Primary Election ballot by mistake, you can still vote in the General Election. My office is mailing Vote-by-Mail ballots marked “General Election” to every registered voter in Union County. Simply fill out your General Election ballot and send it in,” said Ms. Rajoppi.

Voters who have any other questions or concerns regarding their Vote-by-Mail ballot can call the County Clerk’s Elections Division at 908-527-4996 for assistance.

The County Clerk’s office is sending General Election Vote-by-Mail ballots to all registered voters in waves on a town-by-town basis, in order to avoid overwhelming the U.S. Postal Service all at once. The first wave was mailed on September 15. As required by law, the last wave will be sent on or before October 5.

The October 5 deadline allows ample time for all voters to receive their General Election ballot in time to participate in the General Election, scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.

For a step-by-step video on how to use a Vote-by-Mail ballot, visit the County Clerk’s elections website, unioncountyvotes.com/how-to-vote.

Voters can estimate the approximate arrival time of their General Election ballot by checking the schedule of mailings on the home page of the elections website, unioncountyvotes.com, Voters can also call the County Clerk’s Elections Division at 908-527-4996, or email ucvote@ucnj.org.

General Election ballots were mailed to registered voters in the following towns on September 15:

· Cranford

· Fanwood

· Garwood

· Hillside

General Election ballots were also mailed to registered voters in the following towns after September 15:

· Elizabeth, September 17

· Mountainside, September 18

· New Providence, September 19

· Linden, September 21

· Kenilworth, September 22

· Plainfield, September 23

· Roselle Park, September 24

· Roselle, September 25

Voters are advised to call the Elections Division at 908-527-4996 if they have not received their General Election ballot within eight days after their town’s mailing date.

Mailing dates for the following towns will be announced shortly:

· Rahway

· Scotch Plains

· Springfield

· Summit

· Union

· Westfield

· Winfield

Every voter can help the General Election run as smoothly as possible by filling out and returning their General Election Vote-by-Mail ballot as soon as possible after they receive it.

The following early voting methods are available now, and are in effect until the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3:

· Send it to the Union County Board of Elections by U.S. Postal Service (postage is prepaid).

· Deposit it in any Union County Board of Elections secure ballot drop-off box, conveniently located in all 21 municipalities. Any Union County voter can use any drop-off box in Union County, regardless of their residence. The boxes are available on a 24/7 basis until 8:00 p.m. on November 3.

· Hand deliver it to the Union County Board of Elections or County Clerk’s offices. These offices will be open for ballot delivery until 8:00 p.m. on November 3. Please note that hand delivery requires voters to present New Jersey identification and sign a register.

· Designate a ballot bearer to deposit it in a drop-off box, or hand deliver it to the Board of Elections or County Clerk’s offices (instructions are printed on the ballot).

In addition, on Election Day voters can bring their Vote-by-Mail ballot to their designated polling place. To see the list of polling places, visit unioncountyvotes.com/where-do-i-vote.

Voters who come to their polling place without a Vote-by-Mail ballot will be provided with a provisional paper ballot to use. ADA-accessible voting machines are available only for voters with disabilities.

For complete details on early voting methods, including the locations of offices and ballot drop-off boxes, visit the “Early Voting” page on the County Clerk’s elections website, UnionCountyVotes.com.

To track the status of their Vote-by-Mail ballot, voters can use the New Jersey Division of Elections Ballot Tracker tool. More details are available at unioncountyvotes.com/track-my-ballot.

For more information about the County Clerk’s election services visit unioncountyvotes.com or contact the Elections Division at 908-527-4996 or ucvote@ucnj.org.

For more information about all County Clerk programs and services, visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance on the free Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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