Ballot Drop-Off Boxes Now Available for Union County Voters

Union County, NJ – Union County residents who wish to hand deliver their Vote-by-Mail ballots can use any of five secure, official ballot drop-off boxes installed and overseen by the Union County Board of Elections. By order of Governor Phil Murphy, the July 7 election is being conducted primarily by Vote-by-Mail ballot.

Four boxes have already been installed. The locations are:

Cranford

Cranford Community Center

220 Walnut Avenue

Elizabeth

Union County Administration Building

10 Elizabethtown Plaza

Elizabeth

Plainfield

Plainfield City Hall Parking Lot

515 Watching Way

Union Township

Union Township Municipal Building

1976 Morris Avenue – Rear Entrance

The fifth box will be installed later this week at a location to be determined.

“The ballot drop-off boxes provide voters with an additional, convenient way to participate in the July 7 primary,” said Board of Elections Administrator Nicole DiRado.

The drop-off boxes are available on a 24-7 basis. Voters may deposit their ballot in a drop-off box at any time of day or night, up to 8:00 p.m. on July 7.

All of the drop-off locations are ADA accessible and are under constant camera surveillance.

Ballots will be picked up and brought to the Board of Elections on a daily basis.

In addition, voters using a drop-off box may bear their own ballot and ballots of up to three other voters.  Ballot bearers must sign the bearer portion of the outside envelope in the presence of each voter whose ballot they are bearing.

Voters who wish to hand deliver their ballots can also bring them to the Board of Elections office at 271 North Broad Street in Elizabeth. As with the drop off boxes, they may bear their own ballot and ballots of up to three other voters.

Voters choosing to drop off their ballot at the Board of Elections office are reminded that they must sign a register, and produce a New Jersey Driver’s License or New Jersey Issued Identification.

In addition to regular weekday hours between now and July 6, the office will be open to voters for ballot return on Saturday June 27, and Saturday July 4, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day. On July 7, the office will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

While visiting the Board of Elections office, voters must wear masks and observe social distance.

Voters may also send their ballots to the Board of Elections by U.S. mail. Each ballot comes with prepaid postage. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Board of Elections by July 14, seven days after Election Day.

All voters wishing to use a polling location on Election Day will be required to complete a paper provisional ballot. Voters who cannot vote on a paper ballot will be afforded the opportunity to vote on a machine, after they have certified that they cannot vote on a paper ballot.

To view instructions for using a Vote-by-Mail ballot correctly, visit the Election Board online at ucnj.org/boe/make-sure-your-vote-by-mail-ballot-is-counted-2.

For information on all Board of Elections services visit ucnj.org/boe, email ucboe@ucnj.org, or leave a phone message at 908-527-4121. All email and phone messages will be returned.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance on the free Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.