Vote!

Voter Registration: Who

To register to vote in NJ, you must be:

• A US citizen;

• At least 17 (though you cannot vote until you turn 18);

• A resident of the county for 30 days before the election;

  • COLLEGE STUDENTS:

    • If you are in college, you have the option to register from your college address or your parent's address. Those who live on campus can register to vote at their college address.
    • Commuters, including those who live off campus, must register where they live.

• 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.

  • Note: Once you've completed your sentence and are no longer on parole or probation, you regain the right to vote and must complete a new voter registration form to do so.
  • If you have any questions, please contact your County Commissioner of Registration.

The registration deadline to vote in the next election is always 21 DAYS BEFORE that election.

Voter Registration: How

You can register to vote either online or with the general or county-specific voter registration paper form. Along with registering to vote, you can also choose to request a mail-in ballot for the next election, and/or designate a party affiliation.

You should also use a registration form if you are already registered but need to change your address, name or signature on file.

You can return your paper registration forms either through the mail (the earlier the better!) or by bringing them to the County Commissioner of Registration or Superintendent of Elections for your county.

Hoboken residents (including students who live on campus)

The local elections offices can help with questions or to drop off a registration form if you don't register online:

• Office of the Superintendent of Elections, 257 Cornelison Ave., 4th Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07302
  
  or

• Hoboken City Clerk office, 94 Washington Street

Not sure if you're already registered? Check here:

New Jersey has a closed primary system, which means that only voters affiliated with a major party (Democratic or Republican) may vote in that party's primary election.

When you register to vote, you may choose to affiliate with a party at that time, or you may choose to remain unaffiliated. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the general election but not in a primary unless they declare their affiliation.

To declare or change a party affiliation, a Political Party Affiliation Declaration Form must be sent to the Commissioner of Registration for the county in which you’re registered:

• Unaffiliated voters have until the day of the primary election to declare an affiliation (and can do so at their polling place).
• Affiliated voters who want to change their party affiliation must send the form by no later than 55 days before the election

If you’re registered to vote in HOBOKEN, send the form to:

By mail:

Deputy Superintendent of Elections/Commissioner of Registration
John Brzozowski
Address: Hudson County Plaza, 257 Cornelison Avenue, 4th Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Office Hours: 8:30am-4:30pm
201-369-7740; (FAX) 201-369-7743
Website: www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/fyi/

In person:

Municipal Clerk: James J. Farina, RMC
Municipal Deputy Clerk: Jerry Lore
Address: 94 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
Office Hours: M – F, 9 am – 4 pm
201-420-2073; (FAX) 201-420-2085

If you want to vote early or are unable to get to your polling place in person, send in an application form for a mail-in ballot.

To get your ballot mailed to you in time for Election Day, application forms must be received by:

• 7 days before the Election if by MAIL, or

• 3:00 p.m. on the day before the Election if IN PERSON at your County Clerk's office.

VOTING
Once you apply for a mail-in ballot, you won't be able to vote in person at your polling place. If you are listed as having received a mail-in ballot but go to your polling place to vote in person, you will still have the option to submit a provisional ballot, which the poll workers are legally bound to give you on request.

HOW TO GET THE BALLOT
Ballots can be sent to you or picked up by an "Authorized Messenger" (such as a family member; see application for more details) who will then bring it to you.

APPLY AT THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE AND VOTE IMMEDIATELY
If you apply in person at the County Clerk's office, you can, if you so choose, fill out the ballot and give it right back to the County Clerk, who will make sure it gets to the office of the Superintendent of Elections/Commissioner of Registration and counted accordingly.

AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT
Note: Voters who received mail-in ballots in 2020 as a result of the pandemic are not automatically enrolled for mail-in ballots going forward. Check your voter account to find out your current status. If you are not signed up for perpetual mail-in ballots but would like to be, check the box on the request form.

Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than 48 hours after Election Day.

APPLICATIONS

COUNTY OFFICIALS

MORE INFO

Every address in the U.S. is part of a number of different organizational frames known as districts. What district you are in determines by whom you are represented on the state and federal level.

Hoboken: 33rd legislative district, 8th Congressional district

Jersey City: 31st/33rd legislative districts, 8th/10th Congressional districts (use the links below to search with a full address)

Image: Map of the 8th Congressional District (source: ziplook.house.gov)

"If you did not provide identification to the county commissioner of registration or if the identification information could not be verified (i.e., your driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number), YOU MAY BE ASKED TO SHOW IDENTIFICATION AT THE POLLING PLACE WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE.

Identification may include, but not limited to, any Current and Valid Photo ID:

• NJ driver's license, Military or other Government ID, Student or Job ID, Store Membership Card, United States Passport
  OR
• Bank statement, Car registration, Government check or document, Non-photo NJ driver's license, Rent receipt, Sample Ballot, Utility bill, or any other official document

If you show identification, you will vote in the voting machine."

-- Source: NJ Department of State: Division of Elections: Voting Options in New Jersey (emphasis in the original)

While election laws are made on the state level, led by the governor-appointed Secretary of State, the implementation of those laws falls to each of NJ's 21 counties.

Each county has three offices that are involved in elections: the County Clerk, the Superintendent of Elections/Commissioner of Registration (some county officials serve as both roles while other counties have one or the other), and the Board of Elections. The three offices all play their own part in the overall running of voter registration and elections. Check their responsibilities below to know who to ask for what.

• County Clerk (elected)
  Responsible for:

  • Mailing of ballots
  • Certification of results
  • Printing of election materials, including paper ballots

• Superintendent of Elections and/or Commissioner of Registration
  Responsible for:

  • Enforcing all NJ and federal election laws
  • Voter registration
  • Maintaining voter history
  • Voting machines
  • In counties that have both offices:
    • Superintendent of Elections:
      • Voting machines
      • Looking into voting discrepancies
    • Commissioner of Registration:
      • Voter registration
      • Sending out voter acknowledgment cards
      • Maintaining poll books

• Board of Elections (bipartisan board appointed by the governor)
  Responsible for:

  • Counting of paper ballots
  • Pollworkers and polling locations
  • Drop boxes
  • Coordinating with municipal clerks

Find your officials here: