HACKENSACK—Nearly two dozen rumors and false claims about elections and voting are addressed in a Bergen County brochure being mailed to registered voters before early in-person voting begins Saturday, Oct. 24, county officials told Pascack Press.
“Election disinformation is designed to mislead, undermine trust in elections and discourage you from voting,” states Ignore the Rumors, which addresses 22 claims about election integrity, vote by mail, in-person voting, voter registration and early voting.
This is the third consecutive year the County Clerk’s Office, Superintendent of Elections Office and Board of Elections have collaborated on an updated guide to election misinformation.
At a recent League of Women Voters Interleague Organization forum, County Clerk Election Division Supervisor Sabrina Taranto said the guide would be mailed before Election Day and posted online.
Early voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1 at 10 locations countywide. In the Pascack Valley, sites include the River Vale Community Center and Woodcliff Lake’s Tice Senior Center.
Among the claims addressed are that elections are rigged, voters can easily cast ballots more than once and delays in final results indicate problems with an election.
On election security, the brochure states: “NEW JERSEY USES MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SECURITY AND CHECKS AND BALANCES.” It notes Bergen County’s voting equipment is state- and federally certified, is never connected to the internet and produces a human-verifiable paper trail.
The guide says the voter check-in system prevents duplicate voting by showing poll workers whether someone has already returned a mail-in ballot or voted early. When eligibility is in question, a provisional ballot is counted only after officials confirm the voter has not already voted.
The brochure also addresses why results may not be final on election night.
“Election Day is the deadline for voting, not for counting or declaring a winner. News outlets ‘call races’ by using calculations from exit polls, turnout tallies, and unofficial reports to make predictions about the outcome of an election before all of the votes are counted,” it states.
Seven of the brochure’s examples concern voting by mail, including the belief that applying for a mail-in ballot means a voter must always vote that way.
“YOU CAN CHOOSE MAIL BALLOTS FOR ONE ELECTION OR ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS. YOU CAN SWITCH BACK TO IN-PERSON VOTING BY SUBMITTING A REMOVAL FORM. If Mail-In Voters go to the polls, they will receive a provisional ballot that is counted only after confirming no mail-in ballot was returned.”
The brochure also addresses voter privacy, noting that basic information such as a voter’s name, address, party and voting history is public, but a person’s ballot remains secret.
Another section responds to rumors that National Guard troops or ICE agents may be deployed to polling locations, stating: “THAT IS ILLEGAL UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.”
On early voting, the brochure stresses that voters do not need to apply or make an appointment. Voters also may visit the Bergen County Clerk’s Office to apply for and pick up a vote-by-mail ballot in person.
Early voting runs Saturday, Oct. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can consult their sample ballots or the Bergen County Clerk’s Office for additional information.