Friday, October 23, 2015

Bearer Law Change on Mail-In Ballots

While previously there was no limit on the number of mail-in ballots that a bearer could mail or return to the Board of Elections on behalf of other voters, the new law, effective August 10, 2015, limits to three (3) the number of qualified voters for whom a person may serve as a bearer in an election. N.J.S.A. 19:63-4(a). No person shall serve as an authorized messenger for more than three qualified voters in an election. This limit of three (3) does not include the bearer’s own ballot.

In addition to the limit of three (3) voters for whom a person may serve as an authorized messenger or as a bearer, whenever a person delivers a ballot to the county board of elections, that person is now required to “provide proof of the person’s identity in the form of a valid New Jersey driver’s license, or another form of identification issued or recognized as official by the federal government, the State, or any of its subdivisions, providing the identification carries the full address and signature of the person.” N.J.S.A. 19:63-16(d)(2).

To be clear, mail-in ballots should be either mailed or delivered in person, noting the aforementioned restrictions on number, to the Board of Elections located at 5903 Main Street, Mays Landing, NJ 08330.

For more information on this or any other election issue please call the Atlantic County Board of Elections at 609-645-5888.

County News