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| Secure Ballot Box for 2020 Election |
I will try to keep this up to date as new information arises and as new questions come up. This is all the information I have been able to gather for our upcoming election as it relates to Mount Laurel and its voters. If you see anything incorrect, please let me know.
The State Legislature has passed a bill (which was then signed by Governor Murphy) making the upcoming election a 'mostly by mail' election due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. (Just a note: I have zero interest in discussing whether this should have been done. I am just providing information for the upcoming election.)
All registered voters will receive a ballot by mail and are being encouraged to vote using that ballot. There will still be limited in person voting available.
When will I get my ballot?
"Burlington County's Ballots will be mailed between September 30th through October 5th. If you don't receive your ballot by October 13th, please call 609-265-5229." All active voters will be mailed a ballot, there is no need to apply. Source: https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/192/County-Clerk
I am not registered to vote. Can I still register?
You have until October 13th to register to vote.
https://nj.gov/state/elections/voter-registration.shtml
How do I return my ballot?
- You can mail your ballot using the prepaid return envelope. It must be postmarked by November 3.
- You can place your ballot in any of the County secure ballot Drop Boxes. (Note: I am not certain what will happen if you place your ballot in a Drop Box outside of Burlington County. So don't drop it in Cherry Hill or Voorhees!)
- You may deliver your sealed vote to your polling place on Election Day.
- You may deliver your sealed vote to the County Board of Elections
Where are the nearest Drop Boxes?
Drop Boxes are secure and under video surveillance and are available 24 hours a day. There is one located at the Mount Laurel Municipal Building at 100 Mount Laurel Road. Nearby, there is one at the Municipal Building at 984 Tuckerton Road in Marlton and one in Medford at the Medford Township Public Safety Building at 91 Union Street. The full list of Drop Boxes for Burlington County can be found here: https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-secure-drop-boxes.shtml
Can I still vote in person?
There will be a limited number of polling places available, which may be different than where you have voted in the past. If you choose to vote in person, you will NOT be using a voting machine. You will be filling out a provisional paper ballot. These ballots will be counted last, after all the mail-in ballots are counted, so that it can be confirmed you did not fill out a mail-in ballot. (There will be ADA Compliant machines for those voters with a disability who cannot vote by paper ballot.)
There are 4 polling places open in Mount Laurel. You can only go to the one that your district is assigned to.
You can find your voting district here:
What am I voting on?
You will be casting a ballot for President and Vice President.
You will be casting a ballot for a US Senator. The seat is currently held by D-Cory Booker. He is opposed by R-Rik Mehta.
You will be casting a ballot for a member of the House of Representatives, NJ District 3. That seat is currently held by D-Andy Kim. He is running against R-David Richter.
You will be voting for three members of the school board. The following people are running (Incumbents marked with *):
Christine Dickson *
Susan Fortuna
Tracie Pasker
Michael Magee
Kristen Weisman
Diane Blair *
Michael Gallagher
You will be voting for 3 members of Town Council. The following people are running:
You will be voting for 3 members of Town Council. The following people are running:
(D) Karen Cohen, (D) Nikitias Moustakas, (D)Fozia Janjua
(R) Irwin Edelson*, (R) Kurt Folcher*, (R) Sandra Pratt
You can read about the Democratic candidates here: https://mtlaureldems2020.com/
You can read about the Republican candidates here: https://www.facebook.com/EdelsonFolcherPrattForMtL
There are also 3 ballot questions:
1) Do you support legalized cannabis sales?
Also on the ballot is the following question regarding legalized cannabis sales:
"Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis”? Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State’s commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program would also oversee the new, personal use cannabis market. Cannabis products would be subject to the State sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products"
If you wish to read further on the cannabis question, you can find more information here:
https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2020/09/18/nj-voters-to-decide-on-legalizing-adult-use-cannabis-in-november-election/
Also on the ballot is the following question regarding legalized cannabis sales:
"Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis”? Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State’s commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program would also oversee the new, personal use cannabis market. Cannabis products would be subject to the State sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products"
If you wish to read further on the cannabis question, you can find more information here:
https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2020/09/18/nj-voters-to-decide-on-legalizing-adult-use-cannabis-in-november-election/
2) Property Tax Deduction and Exemption for Peacetime Veterans
Read more here:
3) Delay Redistricting if Census is Delayed
Read more here:
Read more here:
How do I know my vote was counted?
You will be able to track the process of your ballot at
https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-track-my-ballot.shtml
If you haven't already done so, you will need to create an account by clicking 'Set Up Your NJ Voter Information System Account' at the link above. Once you have an account, you can review your voting history. Shown will be every election you have participated in, both primaries and general. It does NOT show who you voted for, only that you voted. For Mail In Ballots, such as the most recent primary in July, it shows a bit more information.
You will be able to track the process of your ballot at
https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-track-my-ballot.shtml
If you haven't already done so, you will need to create an account by clicking 'Set Up Your NJ Voter Information System Account' at the link above. Once you have an account, you can review your voting history. Shown will be every election you have participated in, both primaries and general. It does NOT show who you voted for, only that you voted. For Mail In Ballots, such as the most recent primary in July, it shows a bit more information.
Why might my ballot get rejected?
Statewide, 2.4% of votes were rejected in the Primary Election in July. The most common reason for your ballot to be rejected is if it is not postmarked in time. Make sure to send your ballot in as early as possible to prevent this.
The next most common reason is if your signature doesn't match. If it has been a long time since you first registered to vote, your signature may have changed. You still have time to update your signature if this is a concern for you. Go to
https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/forms-voter-registration/68-voter-registration-english-burlington.pdf
and select 'Signature Update' as shown below. (I believe you have until October 13th to update your signature, but you should do it as soon as possible.)
Statewide, 2.4% of votes were rejected in the Primary Election in July. The most common reason for your ballot to be rejected is if it is not postmarked in time. Make sure to send your ballot in as early as possible to prevent this.
The next most common reason is if your signature doesn't match. If it has been a long time since you first registered to vote, your signature may have changed. You still have time to update your signature if this is a concern for you. Go to
https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/forms-voter-registration/68-voter-registration-english-burlington.pdf
and select 'Signature Update' as shown below. (I believe you have until October 13th to update your signature, but you should do it as soon as possible.)
You can view other reasons your ballot may get rejected here:
Mount Laurel Township has provided similar information to this post in a publication, located here:
http://cms6.revize.com/revize/mountlaurelnj/general%20election%20flyer%20correct.jpg
http://cms6.revize.com/revize/mountlaurelnj/general%20election%20flyer%20correct.jpg
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