Board of Elections

Vote-by-Mail Ballot

Issued October 2, 2020

Board of Elections Ballot Review Guide

Hand Delivery of Vote-by-Mail Ballot .............................................................. 2

Receipt of Vote-by-Mail Ballot .......................................................................... 3

Vote-by-Mail Inner and Outer Envelope Review .............................................. 3

Signature Comparison and Cure Process .......................................................... 4

Vote-by-Mail Ballot Storage, Security and Retention ....................................... 5

Board of Elections Ballot Review Guide

be immediately marked as “Received” in the Statewide Voter Registration

System (“SVRS”), indicating the receipt of the ballot, the voter’s name and the

date and time of receipt by the board of elections. If the ballot was returned

through the use of a bearer, indicate that in the SVRS, as well.

Promptly after receiving each Vote-by-Mail ballot and entering the required

receipt information into the SVRS, the ballot’s outer envelope shall be reviewed

to determine if the bearer portion has been completed. If the bearer portion is

completed, the ballot shall be checked against the SVRS to ensure that the

bearer has not returned more than three ballots for qualified voters in that

for another, that person is a bearer. A person may serve as a bearer for up to

three qualified voters in an election. N.J.S.A. 19:63-4, 19:63-16d(3). No person

who is a candidate in the election for which the voter requests or receives a

Vote-by-Mail ballot is permitted to serve as a bearer. N.J.S.A. 19:63-4.

Any Vote-by-Mail ballot received by in-person delivery after the close of the

polls (8 p.m.) on Election Day shall be rejected. N.J.S.A. 19:63-16d(1).

Whenever a person hand delivers a Vote-by-Mail ballot to the board of

elections, that person must provide ID in the form of a NJ driver’s license, or

record is normally referred to as the “bearer book” but it is to be signed by

bearers, as well as any voter who hand delivers their own ballot. A person may

serve as a bearer for up to three qualified voters in an election. N.J.S.A. 19:63-

4, 19:63-16d(3).

Board of Elections Ballot Review Guide

Any Vote-by-Mail ballot postmarked on or before November 3, 2020 at 8 p.m.,

and received from the United States Post Office by 8 p.m. on November 10,

2020 shall be accepted and canvassed if it meets all other statutory

the United States Post Office by 8 p.m. on November 5, 2020, with evidence

from the United States Post Office that the ballot was in the mail stream on or

before November 3, 2020, shall be accepted and canvassed if it meets all other

statutory requirements. N.J.S.A. 19:63-31(m). If the Board has any question

about the legitimacy of or date and/or time stamp on the postmark, the Board

shall consult with the United States Post Office to determine the validity of the

postmark.

Any Vote-by-Mail ballot with no postmark that is received from the United

States Post Office by 8 p.m. on November 5, 2020, shall be accepted and

Any Vote-by-Mail ballot received by the board of elections which has an

unsealed inner envelope shall be rejected unless the inner envelope is unsealed

because there was insufficient glue or no glue on the inner envelope to allow it

to be sealed. N.J.S.A. 19:63-17. If the outer envelope is unsealed but the inner

envelope is sealed, the ballot is to be referred to the board, which is to count the

ballot unless there is evidence of fraud or tampering with the ballot. IMO

Application of Langbaum, 201 N.J. Super. 484 (App. Div. 1985).

Board of Elections Ballot Review Guide

the Vote-by-Mail ballot and Vote-by-Mail ballot materials, may campaign or

electioneer on behalf of any candidate. N.J.S.A. 19:63-16c. In no event may a

candidate for election assist a voter completing any portion of the Vote-by-

Mail ballot. N.J.S.A. 19:63-16c.

Please see the New Jersey Guide to Signature Verification of Vote-by-Mail and

Provisional Ballots and Cure of Discrepant and Missing Signatures for a

thorough discussion of the signature review and cure process to be conducted.

This section provides a concise overview of those responsibilities and is not to

be substituted for the required review of the New Jersey Guide to Signature

Verification of Vote-by-Mail and Provisional Ballots and Cure of Discrepant and

Missing Signatures.

as the voter. N.J.S.A. 19:63-17.

Any Vote-by-Mail ballot where the inner envelope certificate is signed by the

voter, or where an assistor portion has been signed, but is missing other

deficiency as set forth in detail in the New Jersey Guide to Signature

Board of Elections Ballot Review Guide

Verification of Vote-by-Mail and Provisional Ballots and Cure of Discrepant or

whether to accept or reject the ballot.

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:63-17(b), if an inner envelope certificate is not signed

or the board of elections determines that the signature on the certificate does

not match that in the voter’s voting record, the board of elections must send,

via mail or email, if an email address is in the voter’s record, a cure letter with

a cure form, to the voter within 24 hours, informing the voter of the reason for

the rejection of the ballot and provide the voter with information about how

they can cure the signature deficiency. The board of elections must also attempt

to contact the voter by telephone if a telephone number is in the voter’s record.

The voter must complete, sign, date, and return the cure form to the board of

elections in person, by mail, by fax or by email, not later than 48 hours prior to

the final certification of the election results. For the November 3, 2020 General

Board of Elections Ballot Review Guide