This is part of the Brennan Center’s Toolkits for Activists Across the Nation.
Jump to a section:
Political Context | What’s in Place and What’s Needed | Key Dates
Administering an election under pandemic conditions requires undertaking steps to keep voting accessible, safe, and secure. The guide below lays out the problems Covid-19 poses, what preparedness measures New Jersey has, and what changes are still needed. But first, we offer some political context for your advocacy.
Advocacy Focus: Local Reform
Local officials have a lot of responsibility over elections. They are a great place to focus advocacy efforts. Though state officials can make any of the changes in this toolkit, we highlight some examples of changes that local elections officials can also make with this symbol:🔸
Political Context
Below is a list of the relevant officials and information about the legislative session.
Governor: Phil Murphy (D)
Secretary of State: Tahesha Way (D)
Legislature: General Assembly (D) Senate (D)
Legislative Session: The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on December 31, 2020. Either the legislature or the governor can call a special legislative session.
Local Elections Officials: In New Jersey, a number of county officials share responsibilities for administering elections. You can look up individual county officials here.
What New Jersey Has and What’s Needed
Three priorities. There are three key areas where we need to shore up our elections systems for success during a pandemic: registration, mail voting, and in-person voting.
Registration
Covid-19 may disrupt the traditional ways Americans register to vote, like get out the vote drives or registering at government agencies. In the crucial weeks before the registration deadline, postal service disruptions may lead many registration forms to arrive at election offices after the deadline.
Preparatory Measures New Jersey Already Has Taken:
- Online voter registration
Changes Still Needed:
- Prepare to extend mail voter registration deadlines based on conditions in the state
- Voter registration on Election Day
Voting by Mail
Because of Covid-19, long lines and crowds at the polls pose health risks not seen in previous elections. Allowing every citizen to vote by mail reduces the number of people at the polls on Election Day and decreases the exposure risk to Covid-19.
Preparatory Measures New Jersey Already Has Taken:
- All voters can vote by mail without an excuse
- No ID requirement to vote by mail
- No notary or witness requirement for return of mail ballot
- Provides pre-paid postage for voting by mail
- Accepts late-arriving ballots postmarked by Election Day
- Provides post-election notice and cure opportunity for defects on absentee-ballot envelope, including signature mismatch or missing signatures
- Sending vote-by-mail ballots to all active registered voters
Changes Still Needed:
- Online tool to request an absentee ballot for those who won’t automatically be sent one
In-Person Voting
Even with expanded mail voting opportunity, states cannot close polling places. To do so may disenfranchise voters without Internet and mail access, or those who do not wish to cast a ballot by mail. In-person voting must be done in accordance with health guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Preparatory Measures New Jersey Already Has Taken:
- In-person early voting
Changes Still Needed:
- Ensure sufficient polling places are open and resourced on Election Day🔸
- Open more in-person early voting locations🔸
- Take proper public health precautions to ensure safe polling places🔸
- Hold training sessions for polling-place workers well in advance of Election Day, so that election officials can better anticipate problems with staffing and logistics🔸
- Increase access to curbside voting at polling locations
Advocacy Focus: Protecting Polling Places
No matter how prepared New Jersey is as a matter of policy, elections officials and advocates must stay vigilant about ensuring safe, healthy in-person voting is an option for everyone all the way through Election Day. Here are some important things to know about who makes decisions about polling places in New Jersey and what rules govern the process:
- The Governor’s Executive Order 177 requires each county to, among other things,:
- Provide at least 10 secure ballot drop boxes, which shall be placed “based on geographic location and population density to best serve the voters of each county”;🔸
- Open at least 1 polling place in each municipality, and a minimum of 50% of its regularly-used polling places;🔸
- Limit occupancy within all polling places, enforce social distancing, employ specific infection control practices, provide hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to voters and poll workers.🔸
Key Dates for New Jersey Elections
- June 16, 2020: Deadline to register to vote for the Primary Election
- July 7, 2020: Primary Election Day
- October 13, 2020: Deadline to register to vote for the General Election
- November 3, 2020: General Election Day