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What Bergen County Voters Need to Know About the November 3, 2020 General Election

From Bergen County Clerk John S. Hogan, Superintendent of Elections Patricia DiCostanzo, and Board of Elections Chairwoman Jamie H. Sheehan-Willis
Posted on: September 14, 2020 - 9:19am
Voting Information 2020

On August 14, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 177, which requires the Office of the Bergen County Clerk to mail a vote by mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 General Election to every active registered voter within the County. Governor Murphy's Executive Order aims to ensure that voters preserve their constitutional right to vote while upholding the priority of public health during the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

Here is what you need to know about this unprecedented election: 

  • Ballots will be mailed to voters by Monday October 5, 2020. 
  • There are three ways you can cast your vote-by-mail ballot: 
    • Option 1: 
      • Complete and return your ballot by mail in the postage paid envelope provided. Ballots postmarked by November 3, 2020 may be received by the Board of Elections by November 10, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. and still will be counted. All ballot packages contain peel-and-seal, first-class postage-paid envelopes. 
    • Option 2: 
      • Drop your completed ballot at one of the secure Ballot Drop Boxes, located throughout Bergen County by 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2020. There will be a drop box at the Oakland Borough Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza, Oakland, NJ 07436. 
    • Option 3: 
      • Bring your completed ballot to your polling location on November 3, 2020 by 8:00 p.m. 
  • Voters whose ballots are rejected for "a missing or disrepant signature" will be notified and given the opportunity to cure the signature defect "in accordance with the procedures established by the Secretary of State." 
  • There will be a limited number of polling sites open on election day with voting machines exclusively for blind and disabled voters who need the ADA compliant features. 
  • Voters who choose not to complete their vote-by-mail ballot and wish to vote in-person will be provided with a provisional (paper) ballot. (Per the Governor's order, ADA accessible voting machines will be available for disabled voters only). 
  • Sample ballots will not be mailed out for this election. Instead, every registered voter will receive a postcard with their polling location. Sample ballots will be posted for viewing here, and available at the Clerk's office for any voter who requests one. 
  • The deadline to register to vote for the November 3, 2020 General Election is October 13, 2020. For voter registration information, visit njelections.org. There is an option where you can "track your ballot". This permits voters to see if their ballot has been received by the Board of Elections. 

For questions about your vote-by-mail ballot, please contact the Bergen County Clerk's Elections Division at electionsclerk@co.bergen.nj.us or (201) 336-7020. 

For questions about your polling place, or locations of secure drop boxes, please contact the Bergen County Board of Elections at elections@co.bergen.nj.us or (201) 336-6230. 

For questions about voter registration, or to report a potential election violation, please contact the Office of the Bergen County Superintendent of Elections at soe@co.bergen.nj.us or (201) 336-6100. 

To track your vote-by-mail ballot, locate your polling location or secure drop box locations, or check the status of your voter registration, please contact njelections.org.