Union County, NJ – With the upcoming General Election approaching on November 6, the Union County Board of Elections advises residents to be aware of important deadlines, changes in statewide regulations and other items of interest for Union County voters this year.
October 16 is the Deadline to Register to Vote (applies to unregistered voters only):
Union County residents who are eligible to participate in elections but have not registered to vote can obtain a registration form online from the Board of Elections, the County Clerk, or their municipal clerk’s offices.
Unregistered voters who need assistance can call the Board of Elections during regular business hours, 8am – 4pm, at 908-527-4123. The office will be open until 9pm on October 16 to accommodate new registrations.
Polling place access (voters with disabilities):
Most of the polling places in Union County have a main entrance that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A number of polling places do not have an ADA-compliant main entrance, but they do provide an alternate entrance for persons who need one.
For the first time this year, the location of any alternate entrance will be listed on the Board of Elections website, along with the location of the main entrance, and the location of alternate entrances will also be provided on sample ballots. Sample ballots are mailed to each voter and made available online seven to ten days before an election.
Polling Place Changes (Elizabeth, Fanwood and Linden voters only):
Polling places in the following districts have changed. The new polling place is noted below. If voters are not sure what election district they live in, they should call the Board of Elections, 908-527-4123.
- Elizabeth: Ward 5 District 7: Portable Room, Door #12 (enter from Lafayette Street or Madison Avenue).
- Elizabeth: Ward 2 District 4: School 90, J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy, 600-648 Pulaski Street.
- Fanwood: Districts 4 & 5: La Grande Park Building, (enter from La Grand Avenue and 3rd Street).
- Linden: Ward 5, Districts 3 & 4: School 4, Gymnasium (enter from Mildred Avenue).
- Linden: Ward 10 Districts 2 & 3: At School 9, move from front entrance on Deerfield Avenue to the Gymnasium Entrance, Door #8 (enter from the rear of the building off of Kent Place; please note that persons requiring an ADA-compliant entrance may continue to use the main entrance on Deerfield Avenue).
Polling place corrections (may impact some voters in various municipalities):
As part of an upgrade to the State Voter Registration System, the New Jersey Division of Elections has been correcting instances in which an address has been located in the wrong district, ward or municipality. These voters were notified of the error by letter and provided with the correct information, including the location of the correct polling place.
All voters can find their correct polling place information listed on their sample ballots.
New Voting Machines (Westfield voters only):
Voters in Westfield will be using new voting machines that provide a paper audit trail. As with all voting machines, the new machines are not connected to the Internet.
The new machine also features a touch screen that mirrors the layout of the sample ballots.
Westfield residents can familiarize themselves with the new machines by visiting the Board of Elections website. A new voting machine is also on display at the Colleen Fraser Building in the Union County complex at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. It may be viewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Board of Elections will be attending the upcoming Westfield council meeting on October 23 to demonstrate the machine, which is streamed live on Facebook.
Additional municipalities will receive the new machines in upcoming elections.
In addition to these advisories, the Board of Elections reminds voters that all eligible Vote-by-Mail and provisional ballots are always counted, and are included in the final, certified results for each election. Any Vote by Mail ballot that is mailed and post-marked on Election Day, and received within 48 hours of the close of the polls, will be counted. The Board of Elections office will remain open until 8:00 p.m. on November 7 and November 8 in order to receive all mail delivered within 48 hours. Vote by Mail ballots cannot be hand delivered during this time.
All Vote-by-Mail ballots will be counted on Friday, November 9. All provisional ballots will also be counted on Friday, November 9.
The deadline for final, official certification of the election results is normally set for the Monday following an election. However, due to the expanded 48-hour window to receive Vote by Mail ballots, state elections officials have set Wednesday, November 14 as the deadline.
For more details about voter registration, polling places, and other election information visit the Board of Elections at ucnj.org/board-of-elections, call 908-527-4123, email ucboe@ucnj.org or visit unioncountyvotes.com.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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