7,000 Mail-in Votes Expected in Union County
ELIZABETH, NJ – County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi will open her office on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for voters seeking last-minute Vote By Mail ballots. The office at 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, will be open as a public service for voters seeking Vote By Mail ballots for the Nov. 2nd General Election.
“Every voter should have the opportunity to cast his or her ballot in the general election for the U.S. House of Representatives, county and municipal offices,” Rajoppi said. “We want to ensure that even those who have a last-minute change of plans can have a chance to cast their vote.”
Walk-in applications are accepted up to 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1, the day before the general election. Voters do not need to give a reason why they wish to use the Vote By Mail option.
“By opening the office on the Saturday before the general election, as we have done for the past 14 years, we hope to assist those citizens whose working hours or other commitments keep them from applying during the work week,” Rajoppi said.
Voters will be able to drop-off their completed Vote By Mail ballot at the Union County Clerk’s office. This option allows voters to pick up their ballots, vote in privacy and deposit them in a secured lockbox – all at the same office through 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1.
“The new Vote By Mail option, which has replaced Absentee Ballots, makes voting more accessible, particularly for senior citizens,” Rajoppi said.
Completed ballots will be kept in a secure lockbox under the control of the Union County Board of Elections, who will collect them for counting. The County Clerk’s office has processed more than 5,300 Vote By Mail applications to date for the General Election and expects the number to exceed 7,000 before Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.
To obtain an application, voters may download the form at the County Clerk’s website:www.ucnj.org/government/county-clerk/vote-by-mail or pick up an application at their local municipal building. Last-minute voters must bring the completed form to the County Clerk’s Office on Saturday, Oct. 30, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., or on Monday, Nov. 1, before 3 p.m.
For more information, contact the Union County Clerk’s office at 908-527-4996.