County Clerk Hanlon Explains New Vote by Mail Law which will impact the November General Election

FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon is announcing to voters that a new law signed by Governor Phil Murphy in August of 2019 has again changed the Vote by Mail rules in New Jersey. These changes are effective immediately and will impact the 2019 November General Election.

The new law mandates that all voters who voted by mail for any election in 2017 and/or 2018 be sent a Mail-In Ballot for the 2019 General Election and all future elections, even if they did not request one. If these voters do not wish to receive Mail-In Ballots for the 2019 General Election and all future elections, they must notify the County Clerk in writing to opt out.

“All of these affected Mail-In Ballot voters have been sent a letter from the County Clerk’s Office advising of this change, so it is important that voters be on the lookout for this letter,” said Clerk Hanlon. “This change impacts over 13,000 voters in Monmouth County.”

Mail-In Ballots for the 2019 General Election will be sent out to voters beginning September 21, so if any voter impacted by this law would like to opt-out in writing, the County Clerk’s Office must receive the Opt Out Form by September 19.

Voters can download a convenient Vote by Mail Opt Out Form from the County Clerk’s Elections Website, MonmouthCountyVotes.com, and from our free Monmouth County Votes Mobile App.

The completed Opt Out Form can be mailed to the County Clerk’s Elections Office at 300 Halls Mill Road in Freehold or it can be scanned and emailed to [email protected].

According to State law, any voter who has not opted out and receives a Mail-In Ballot will not be permitted to vote on a voting machine on Election Day. These voters will be limited to voting the Mail-In Ballot they receive or a paper provisional ballot at the polls on Election Day.

If you have any questions about the Vote by Mail process or questions about the new law, please contact the County Clerk’s Elections Division by calling 732-431-7790 or emailing [email protected].