BERGEN COUNTY — Election officials are urging registered voters to plan ahead for the Nov. 3 general election, with early voting available through Sunday, Nov. 1, and deadlines approaching for mail-in ballots.
On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters casting ballots in person that day must use their assigned polling place, listed on their sample ballot or available through the polling-place search at vote.nj.gov.
Early voting
Registered Bergen County voters can cast their municipality’s ballot at any of the county’s 10 early voting locations. No appointment or application is needed.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Local sites include the River Vale Community Center, 48 Greenhalgh Lane, and the Tice Senior Center, 411 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodcliff Lake. Other locations are in Fort Lee, Garfield, Hackensack, Mahwah, Paramus, Teaneck, Wood-Ridge and Wyckoff. The complete list is available on the Bergen County Board of Elections’ website.
County officials recommend bringing a sample ballot for faster check-in.
Mail-in ballots
The deadline to request a ballot by mail is Oct. 27. Voters can obtain a mail-in ballot in person from the Bergen County Clerk’s Office until 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2.
Regular office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The county has also announced special hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1.
Voters unable to visit the office may designate an authorized messenger using Section 14 of the vote-by-mail application. According to the county, that person may be a family member or a registered Bergen County voter, other than a candidate.
Completed ballots can be placed in a secure Bergen County ballot drop box or delivered to the county Board of Elections by 8 p.m. Election Day. Drop-box locations are listed at bergencountyvotes.com.
Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 9. Officials recommend mailing early or asking a postal clerk at the counter to apply a timely postmark.
Completed mail-in ballots cannot be returned to early voting sites or Election Day polling places.
Tracking and replacement ballots
Voters can check their ballot’s status through “Track My Ballot” at vote.nj.gov.
The county advises voters whose ballots have not been received within a week of mailing to contact election officials about a replacement. Mail-in voters who need to vote in person may use a provisional ballot at an early voting location or on Election Day.
For voting information, polling-place searches and ballot tracking, visit vote.nj.gov or bergencountyvotes.com. For local candidate profiles, visit thepressgroup.net.