Voting in NJ

Primary Elections occur in June, followed by General Elections on the first Tuesday of November.

General Election
The winners of the Primary Election will run against each other in the General Election. The General Election determines who will be elected to office. The NJ General Election will take place on November 7, 2023. 

Voter Eligibility
To be eligible to vote in New Jersey, individuals must be:

• A United States citizen
• At least 17 years old, though you may not vote until you have reached the age of 18
• A resident of the county for 30 days before the election
• A person not serving a sentence of incarceration as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States.

Individuals who are currently serving a sentence of incarceration as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States are not eligible to vote.

Voter Registration
Eligible individuals must complete a Voter Registration Application online or mail their paper application to the County Commissioner of Registration or their County’s Superintendent of Elections. The registration deadline to vote in the next election is 21 days prior to the day of the election.

Are you Registered
If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, find out using the Registration Check Tool.

For your ease, New Jersey can accept your ballot in a variety of ways.

Vote In-Person

• Before Election Day -  In-Person Early Voting. Every county will provide registered voters with this option. No appointment is necessary. Voters can go to any in-person early voting location within their county to cast their vote. Early voting poll locations may be different from a voter’s Election Day polling location.
• On Election Day - From 6:00 am to 8:00 pm on Election Day, voters can go to their local polling place to cast their vote. Voters should use the Polling Place Search to determine their local polling location.  

Vote by Mail
A voter may vote by mail by completing the Vote by Mail Ballot Application and returning the application to their County Clerk. To receive a ballot by mail, the application must be received by the County Clerk 7 days prior to the Election. A voter may also apply in-person to the County Clerk until 3:00 pm, the day before the election.

• Return it by mail -  Ballots can be returned via USPS. Ballots must be post marked on or before Election Day and must be received by the County Board of Elections 7 days after Election Day. Use this ballot tracker to track your ballot to see that it gets back to your board of elections.
• Return it by drop box - Secure drop boxes will be located in your area. You can deposit your ballot in the drop box by 8:00 pm on Election Day and it will be brought to your Board of Elections where it will be counted. Find your local ballot drop box location.
• Return it to your County Board of Elections Office – Voters can deliver their ballot in person to the County Board of Elections Office by 8:00 pm on Election Day.

New Jersey provides voters with the opportunity to track their ballot. Voters can see the status of their ballots by logging in. Track your ballot today.

Citizens of all ages, including college and high school students, are encouraged to apply to be Election Day Poll Workers. Poll Workers ensure that Election Day in New Jersey is conducted with great competence and responsiveness to the public. Find out how you can help. 

Your county election officials are your trusted sources of information. Reach out to your local officials if:

• You think you should report something
• You need help understanding any aspect of your ballot or participating in our election
• You have other questions or concerns about the election process

Find answers to frequently asked questions.

See something, say something, do something. Call the Voter Protection Hotline at 877-658-6837 if you have a concern related to the election that you would like to report.