What New Jersey Voters Should Know at the Polls on Election Day
Election Day is Tuesday, and New Jersey's rules at the polls are specific: what counts as electioneering, when a provisional ballot comes out, why the ballot selfie is still off limits, and the 8 p.m. line rule that protects late arrivals.
New Jersey voters heading to their assigned polling places on Tuesday, November 3 will vote under a rule set worth knowing before they arrive, according to the Election Day explainer published by NorthJersey.com and read by this desk. The guide walks through what is and is not allowed at the polls, including the rules on electioneering, identification, provisional ballots and other polling-place conduct, and it reminds voters they can track a cast ballot online through the state's Track My Ballot page.
Two clock rules matter most at the end of the day. Polls close at 8 p.m., but a voter who is in line before 8 p.m. can still vote after the polls close. Mail ballots run on the same deadline: a completed vote-by-mail ballot can be placed in a secure drop box before 8 p.m. on Election Day, and a ballot sent through the mail must be postmarked by November 3 to be counted, even if it arrives after Election Day.
One popular habit is still against the rules. Photographing a completed ballot inside a New Jersey voting booth is prohibited under state statute N.J.S.A. 19:34-7, and a bill introduced in January, Assembly Bill A287, would legalize ballot photos but has not changed the law for this election. Sunday, November 1 is also the last day of in-person early voting, which runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at county early-voting sites.
