Scharfenberger: Make Sure Your Vote Counts This Election, Here’s How!

Middletown, N.J. –Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth), seeking to belie and to clear-up some of the misunderstandings surrounding New Jersey’s almost all mail-in election this year, has put together some key points he feels will help residents when voting:

“Despite our best efforts to pass legislation to secure an in-person voting option, it Governor Murphy has mandated that this election process will be primarily by mail in ballots,” says Scharfenberger. “With that in mind, I would like to offer certain recommendations to ensure that every eligible vote is counted, and any possible instances of fraud are rooted out as much as possible.”

Stemming from Governor Phil Murphy’s ill-advised mandate that this election be conducted as a primarily Vote-by-Mail Election, there has been an enormous amount of misinformation often found on social media which has a tendency to confuse voters. Although officials like Monmouth County Clerk Christine Hanlon have done an amazing job to rectify the issues forced upon counties subsequent to the Governor’s decision, there are still overwhelming challenges especially concerning whether someone can vote at polling locations:

“Unfortunately, eligibility for typical polling machines has been extremely restricted due to the Governor, therefore if you are expecting a more traditional, electronic option it sadly will not be available,” commented Scharfenberger.  “If you are not disabled and attempt to vote in-person, you will only be able to vote provisionally on paper – meaning your ballot will be counted last after all the mail-in ballots are counted. So the unfortunate reality is that voters should vote their mail in ballots and return them for counting as soon as possible!”

To aid eligible voters better understand the process, Assemblyman Scharfenberger has put together some helpful tips to ensure that their rights are upheld and to remind them that the best way to do so is by mail-in ballot:

When Voting by Mail:

• Follow the instructions for your mail-in ballot carefully when filling out the paperwork so your ballot is not rejected for any irregularities or mistakes.
  • Ensure to fill-out information on both sides of the ballot in case your town has multiple elections occurring.
• Return your ballot as soon as possible!
  • This will keep the county election boards from getting overwhelmed;
  • Helps ensure a timely certification of the election; &
  • Will allow enough time for notification should an issue occur with you ballot & allow voters to rectify.
• Utilize the secured county Drop Boxes or personally hand deliver to county Board of Election Offices prior to & on Election Day, or hand-deliver to polling locations on Election Day.
  • This will help lessen the burden on the United States Postal Service which will undoubtedly have an expected increase in overall volume.
• If you do not receive your ballot by October 13th, you can contact the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office: Phone: 732-431-7790 or email: ClerkOfElections@co.monmouth.nj.us

Identifying Fraud:

• IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! If you are aware of ballots sent to individuals who are not eligible voters, such as people who have recently moved away, are deceased, married with multiple ballots under a maiden and married name, or any other condition that may disqualify them from voting, please alert the County Clerk’s Office or your Municipal Clerk’s Office as soon as possible.
• If you know of anyone willfully committing voter fraud or see abnormalities, please call the following numbers to anonymously report these occurrences:
  • Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office: 855-786-5878
  • Monmouth County Board of Elections: 732.431.7802
  • N.J. Election Hotline: 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837)

Monmouth County Mail-in Ballot Drop Box Locations

Aberdeen Township

Aberdeen Municipal Building

1 Aberdeen Square

Aberdeen, NJ  07747

Allentown Borough

Allentown Borough Hall

8 North Main Street

Allentown, NJ  08501

Asbury Park City

Asbury Park City Hall

City Council Chambers (Bangs Avenue Entrance)

1 Municipal Plaza

Asbury Park, NJ  07712

Belmar Borough

Borough of Belmar Municipal Building

601 Main Street

Belmar, NJ  07719

Eatontown Borough

Eatontown Borough Municipal Building –

Rear Entrance

47 Broad Street

Eatontown, NJ  07724

Freehold Township

Board of Elections Office

Special Services Complex Building – Side Entrance

300 Halls Mill Road

Freehold, NJ   07728

Hazlet Township

Hazlet Agency – NJ Motor Vehicle Commission

1374 Highway 36 Airport Plaza

Hazlet, NJ  07730

Howell Township

Howell Township Municipal Building –

Rear Entrance

4567 Route 9 North

Howell, NJ  07731

Long Branch City

Long Branch City Hall

344 Broadway

Long Branch, NJ  07740

Manalapan Township

Manalapan Township Municipal Building

120 County Rd 522

Manalapan, NJ  07726

Middletown Township

Croydon Hall

900 Leonardville Road

Middletown, NJ  07737

Middletown Municipal Building

1 Kings Hwy

Middletown Township, NJ  07748

Neptune Township

Neptune Township Municipal Building – Library Entrance

25 Neptune Boulevard

Neptune, NJ  07753

Ocean Township

Ocean Township Town Hall

399 Monmouth Road

Oakhurst, NJ  07755

Red Bank Borough

Red Bank Borough Municipal Building

90 Monmouth Street

Red Bank, NJ   07701

Rumson Borough

Rumson Borough Hall (front parking lot)

80 East River Road

Rumson, NJ  07760

Wall Township

Wall Township Municipal Building

2700 Allaire Road

Wall, NJ  07719

*Please make sure to check your individual county for a list of drop box locations.

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