Middlesex County Clerk’s Office will Open to the Public and Extend Hours
Press Release 10/15/20
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ – Voter Information Centers (VIC) in three Middlesex County Municipalities – Highland Park, Monroe, and Sayreville – will open to the public on Monday, October 19, and remain open until Election Day, November 3. The VIC will serve the public as information centers, providing voting services including replacement ballots, signature verification, and instructions on how to participate in the 2020 General Election.
The centers are located at the following locations:
Highland Park Borough Hall
221 South Fifth Ave, Highland Park
The Monroe Township Library
4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Township
Sayreville Borough Hall
167 Main Street, Sayreville
All three locations will be open from 11 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday until November 2 and open 6 am to 8 pm on Election Day, November 3. Members of the public will be subject to a temperature screening upon entrance to the Voter Information Center and will be required to wear a face covering at all times.
Representatives from the Board of Elections will also be available to contact virtually at the Voter Information Center to answer questions residents may have regarding registration updates and how to ensure their ballot is properly cast.
“Once again, Middlesex County is going above and beyond for its residents. Not only did Middlesex County commit to providing Vote By Mail ballots to residents with postage included and far surpassed the number of ballot drop-box locations required by the state – 32 locations compared to the state’s mandated 10 — but the County is now offering unique Voter Information Centers throughout the County to assist our residents in casting their ballot,” said Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios. “The opening of these Voter Information Centers will be a tremendous asset to our residents.”
Voter Information Centers will be staffed by County Clerk Election Officials that can immediately access voter registration data and determine if the voter has been issued a Vote by Mail ballot, and whether or not a ballot has been received by the election officials. If the voter has not been issued a Vote by Mail ballot, they can apply at the center. Voters will also be able to apply for and receive a replacement ballot – these duplicate ballots are issued in the event a ballot has been lost, damaged, or the voter does not receive it.
Voter Information Centers are not polling locations and ballots cannot be cast inside a VIC. Each VIC is located within the immediate vicinity of a Middlesex County Drop Box at which a voter may drop-off a completed Vote By Mail ballot. The County will operate 97 polling locations on Election Day throughout the County at which residents may complete a paper provisional ballot. Provisional ballots will not be available at the Voter Information Centers.
COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE OPENS TO PUBLIC AND EXTENDS HOURS
The County Clerk – Division of Elections Office located in the County Administration Building in New Brunswick will be open to the public Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm starting on October 19 for residents looking for information and assistance on how to participate in the 2020 General Election, offering signature verification and providing duplicate ballots.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic has required us to restrict public access to the County Clerk’s Office for the sake of the health and safety of our staff, we welcome the opportunity to bring the public back into our office, practicing all necessary safety measures, to assist them in exercising their right to vote,” said Middlesex County Clerk Elaine Flynn. “This election cycle may be unique in the way our residents vote, but what is not unique is our commitment to ensuring they have all the necessary information and tools to do so!”
HOW VOTERS CAN VOTE
Most voters have several ways to vote in this election, all via paper ballots, which include:
• Voters may mail the ballots via the United States Postal Service at any time before November 3 (ballots must be postmarked on or before November 3). Postage is included at no cost to residents.
• Voters may place the ballot in one of the secure drop boxes located throughout the County until Tuesday, November 3 at 8 pm. For a list of secure drop box locations, please visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/vote2020.
• Voters may drop the ballot off at the Middlesex County Board of Elections located at 11 Kennedy Blvd, East Brunswick until Tuesday, November 3 at 8 pm. If someone other than you (the voter) is delivering your ballot to the Board of Elections, make sure that they fill out and sign the Bearer Section on the left-front side of the green return envelope and review the guidelines on the back of the green envelope.
• Voters may vote in person on November 3 via a provisional, paper ballot only. A limited number of machines will be available only for voters with a disability.
• Accommodations will be made for voters with a disability at their polling location. If you are a disabled voter and need access to an ADA accessible ballot marking device to vote on November 3, please call the Middlesex County Board of Elections at 732-745-3471.
• Voters may submit their own completed and sealed Vote By Mail ballot at their assigned polling location in-person on Election Day, November 3. For a list of polling locations, please visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/vote2020.
• Bearers will be prohibited from submitting another individuals ballot at polling locations
If your Vote By Mail ballot is lost, damaged or you do not believe you received it, you may request a duplicate. Please fill out the replacement ballot form on the middlesexcountynj.gov/vote2020 website and submit it to the County Clerk’s Office. The deadline to request a replacement ballot to be sent to you via the mail is October 23, though voters may request a replacement ballot in-person at a Voter Information Center or the County Clerk’s Office through election day.
For election information and general questions, please visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/vote2020. If you have any questions regarding applications or the sending of mail-in ballots for the November 3 General Election, please call the Elections Division of the County Clerk’s Office at 732-745-4202. For all other questions, please call the Board of Elections at 732-745-3471.
