Voter Registration Deadline in New Jersey
You must register to vote at least 21 days before Election Day in New Jersey.
How To Check Your Voter Registration Status
The New Jersey Division of Elections offers an online tool to check your voter registration status. Check your registration record by providing your voter information, such as your first and last name and date of birth.
Where Are My Early Voting Locations?
In-person early voting is available for both the general election and primary elections. Early voting allows all registered voters to cast ballots before an upcoming election. Votes are cast in person during the early voting period using a voting machine. With this option, voters can vote at a time that best fits their schedule.
The early voting locations are open:
- Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Voters do not need an appointment for in-person early voting. Voting accommodations are also available for voters with disabilities. Early voters can cast their ballots at their county’s designated voting location or the in-person early voting location listed at the New Jersey Voter Information Portal.
What Do I Need To Bring to the Polls in New Jersey?
You do not need to provide your voter ID or identification card if you’ve voted in New Jersey before. If it’s your first time voting in your county, you will need to bring additional identification. You should present a valid ID to a poll worker at the polling place.
The following are some of the acceptable forms of ID:
- New Jersey driver’s license
- U.S. passport
- Military or other government-issued ID
- Student Identification Card
- Employee Identification card
- Store membership card
- Bank statement, car registration, government check or document, rent receipt, sample ballot, utility bill, or any other official document
If you are unable to provide ID, you can vote a provisional ballot. When the poll workers verify your voting information, they count your provisional ballot.
How Do I Request an Absentee Ballot in New Jersey?
In July 2009, New Jersey state law changed the term from absentee ballot to vote-by-mail ballot. Voting by mail allows any registered voter to request a ballot for any reason.
Any registered voter may vote by mail by filling out an application and submitting it to their County Clerk. After the registered voter fills out the application, they can send it back through one of the following ways:
Voters should submit their ballot on or before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
For those sent by mail, it should be postmarked on or before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day and received by the Board of Elections office within six days after. If the voter deposits the ballot in a secure ballot drop box, they should place it in the box by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots intended for the county board should be delivered in person by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
New Early Voting Law in New Jersey
In March 2025, the Governor of New Jersey signed Senate Bill 3990, which extended the early voting period for primary elections. Under this new law, early voting now begins six days before the election and continues until the Sunday immediately preceding the election. Prior to this, the early voting period was only three days, not six. Voters now have a week to cast their early ballot.
Special Accommodations Available in New Jersey
New Jersey offers accommodations at polling places for voters with disabilities or other conditions that make voting difficult. Under New Jersey law, polling locations must be accessible to all voters. Some of the other accommodations available to voters with a disability include:
- Voters can request to move to the front of the line
- Chairs to sit in while waiting to vote
- Having someone hold a place in line for a disabled voter
- Making accessible ballot marking devices available
- Making reasonable modifications for voters with assisted listening equipment
- Making ramps available at the entrance to the polling place
- Having forms available to voters in both large print and Braille
If you encounter a problem while at the polling place, speak with a poll worker or supervisor. If workers refuse to assist you or offer reasonable accommodations, consider speaking to a civil rights attorney. The voter rights and accessibility section of the state’s website provides information on polling places, accessibility checklists, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in New Jersey, and more.
Potential Expansion of Voting Rights in New Jersey
Pending legislation may expand voting rights for New Jersey residents. These laws have not yet passed the state Senate, but it’s a good idea to stay informed about laws that may affect your civil rights.
The John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, which was passed by the New Jersey Assembly in March 2026, would protect voters’ rights in the State of New Jersey. This bill proposes the following:
- Restore “Preclearance”: Preclearance is a rule that requires municipalities with a history of voter discrimination to get state approval before making any changes to election rules
- Language Protection: Would increase the requirements to provide election material in multiple languages and reduce the threshold towns must meet to provide translated ballots
- New Oversight: If passed, the new law will establish a dedicated voting rights division within the Department of the Treasury to oversee election logistics and ensure fairness
While the bill has not yet become law, the N.J. Assembly’s passage offers hope for expanding voting rights and fairness.
Voter Intimidation: What It Is and What To Do About It
New Jersey law has a strict no-tolerance policy for voting intimidation. It prohibits electioneering, which occurs when an individual or group attempts to persuade or coerce voters to cast their ballots for a particular candidate or party. It can also involve groups or individuals pressuring someone not to vote at all.
Polling places have a buffer zone. It is illegal to campaign, hand out flyers, or wear political gear within 100 feet of the entrance to any polling place in New Jersey.
New Jersey law also limits what “challengers” can do while in or near the polling places. Challengers are individuals who attempt to report what they claim to be voter fraud in an effort to discount an opposing party’s votes. Challengers can only speak to a poll worker if they have a legitimate concern about a person’s voter eligibility.
It’s a crime in the Garden State for someone to knowingly or willfully intimidate or threaten someone from voting, attempting to vote, or helping another individual to vote. It is also a crime to use force or violence to induce a voter to vote a certain way or not vote at all.
Certain methods are used to intimidate voters from casting their ballots privately and independently. Some of the more common examples of voter intimidation include:
- Waiting outside a polling place trying to scare you into voting a certain way
- Standing in an unauthorized area near voting booths to record or photograph voters
- Harassing or following voters into or out of a polling place
- Threatening voters with violence or harm
If you see any of this behavior at your local polling place, speak to a poll worker or supervisor immediately. If you still have concerns, call the State Hotline at 877-NJ-VOTER. You can also visit the New Jersey Bias Online Portal.
What To Do if You See Something Illegal at the Polls
Some seek to prevent fair and free elections. This can lead to suspicious or illegal behavior at the polling location. If you witness what you think is voter fraud, speak with a poll worker or supervisor and ask to complete the New Jersey voter fraud form. The form lets you report and document non-compliant polling experiences. You can also report voting law violations to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Contact a New Jersey Civil Rights Lawyer for Help
If you have questions about your voting rights or feel that someone has violated these rights, you should contact a New Jersey civil rights attorney right away. Voting is one of the fundamental rights you have as a United States citizen. If somebody has infringed on these rights, consider taking action.
Understanding how the voting process works in New Jersey is the best way to cast your ballot. Whether you’re a first-time voter or have voted for over 30 years, you may have questions about the election process in New Jersey. An experienced New Jersey civil rights lawyer can help answer these questions.
POLLING PLACE FINDER
