PASCACK VALLEY AREA, N.J.—The League of Women Voters of Northern Valley (LWVNV) reminds all citizens New Jersey’s Primary Election takes place on Tuesday, June 8.
To prepare voters in Bergen County for what they need to do for the Primary Election, the League launched a Make a Voting Plan campaign.
The New Jersey Primary Election allows members of a political party to choose a candidate to represent them in the General Election in November.
In New Jersey, only voters who are registered members of a political party may participate in nominating that party’s candidates.
Unaffiliated voters can declare a party when voting in a primary up to and including Primary Election Day. They may declare their affiliation in person at the polls on Primary Election Day or upon casting their mail-in ballot.
Currently, only the Republican and Democratic parties use a primary election system to select nominees.
Polling Sites
Unlike the elections held in 2020, local polling sites will be open for machine in-person voting for the Primary Election. Voters may find their polling location at lwvnj.org. A polling location also will be shown on the sample ballot, which should be received about a week before Election Day.
Mail-In Ballots
Although New Jersey passed recently legislation implementing in-person early voting, this will not be in effect until the November General Election. Voters may vote early using a mail-in ballot for the Primary Election. Mail-in ballots are available to all registered voters after applying.
To receive a mail-in ballot, contact the Bergen County Clerk’s office by June 1. Voters may also apply in person at the Bergen County Clerk’s office until 3 p.m. on June 7.
For information from the Bergen County Clerk’s office, visit bergencountyclerk.org or contact (201) 336-7006 or countyclerk@co.bergen.nj.us. Their office is at One Bergen County Plaza, Room 380 in Hackensack.
Voters may return mail-in-ballots using a ballot drop box, through the U.S. postal system, or in-person at the Bergen County Board of Elections office.
For a list of drop box locations in Bergen County, check co.bergen.nj.us/bergen-county-board-of-elections/ballot-drop-box-locations.
Mail-in ballots may not be dropped off at polling locations.
The League encourages voters to return the mail-in ballot as soon as possible. The postage-paid ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, June 8 and received by the Bergen County Board of Elections within 144 hours or six days after the polls close.
The ballot may also be brought in person to the Bergen County Board of Elections Office or to a secure ballot drop box location before polls close on Election Day. You can track your ballot at nj.gov/state/elections/vote-track-my-ballot.shtml.
Voter Registration
To register to vote in New Jersey, a voter must be a United States citizen, at least 17 and will reach age 18 by election day, a resident of Bergen County for 30 days before the election, and not currently serving a sentence of incarceration because of a felony conviction.
The voter registration deadline by mail or online for the June primary was Tuesday, May 18. The voter registration form must be postmarked by this date.
Voter registration forms are available at lwvnj.org. For questions about registering, contact the State of New Jersey at Elections.NJ.gov or call toll-free 1-877-NJVOTER (1-877-658-6837).
VOTE411
VOTE411.org, a one-stop-shop for election related information, provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the election process.
Find out about candidate debates and forums taking place in your municipality, including events moderated by the League of Women Voters, check VOTE.411 for updates. This handy tool will also publish voters guides electronically by the beginning of June.
To obtain additional information about the June primary, visit the League of Women Voters of New Jersey at lwvnj.org and VOTE411.org or contact mmarks@lwvnj.org.
The League of Women Voters of Northern Valley services 29 municipalities in Bergen County: Alpine, Bergenfield, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Edgewater, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fort Lee, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Haworth, Hillsdale, Leonia, Montvale, New Milford, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Park Ridge, River Vale, Rockleigh, Tenafly, Washington Township, Westwood, and Woodcliff Lake.
The League of Women Voters of Northern Valley was founded in 1946 as the League of Women Voters of Closter. By 1964, it included 11 municipalities in the Northern Valley and was renamed the League of Women Voters of Northern Valley.