HILLSBOROUGH: Voting by mail is option for everyone

Vote-by-mail applications are now available for the Nov. 4 general election. The application must be received by the Somerset County Clerk’s office by Oct. 28 to receive a mail-in-ballot.
Voters may also complete a vote-by-mail ballot by visiting the county clerk’s election office at 20 Grove St., Somerville, and obtain a ballot there, beginning in late September, until Nov. 3 at 3 p.m.
However, if a voter chooses to apply after the deadline, a voter can drop off their ballot until the close of polls on election day at the Board of Elections, also at 20 Grove St.
There is a common misconception that voters can only vote by mail if they provide a valid reason for being unavailable during election day, such as being at work or out of town. In actuality, in New Jersey, any registered voter can vote by mail for any reason.
While New Jersey is not exclusively a "vote-by-mail" state such as the states of Washington and Oregon, vote-by-mail is an option for voters who prefer to mail in ballots instead of taking a trip to vote at the polls. This essentially gives people a larger window for voting in elections, and allows them to avoid relying on a single day to cast their votes.
New Jersey also allows voters to vote by mail in person by visiting the county clerk’s office where you fill out your application, pick up your ballot, vote on it, and hand-deliver it to the Board of Elections Office any day before election day. This method would require voters to visit the clerk’s office after ballots are printed at the end of September.
If voters are on the clerk’s "permanent list," they will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for every general election with one application. Voters can join the permanent list by checking box "B" on the vote-by-mail application.
This law is a bit understood. Many people believe that if they apply to be on the permanent list, it makes them eligible to vote by mail in all elections. However, it only makes voters eligible to receive ballots for the November general election and not every election during a calendar year.
A registered voter may apply for a ballot by completing and mailing a vote-by-mail application and mailing it in to the county clerk’s office. After the mail-in deadline of Oct. 28, a voter may apply for a ballot, in person, at the Somerset County Clerk’s office until 3 p.m. the day before the election.
To request a vote-by-mail application, voters can call 609-989-6494 or visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/clerk/ . Applications are available there in both English and Spanish. The state Division of Elections website also offers vote-by-mail ballots in Indian, Chinese, and Korean languages. That website is http://www.njelections.org/voting-information-vote-by-mail.html.