Election Day is on Tuesday, November 3rd! Voters in New Jersey will be choosing:

However, many NJ voters, including those with disabilities, have already cast their vote, through the mail-in ballot process being implemented as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) along with REV UP New Jersey urges everyone to participate in this year's election by exercising your right to vote!

Because of COVID-19, this year's election will be conducted primarily through mail-in ballot. The number of polling places will be reduced. All active voters, whether you voted by mail-in the past or vote in person, should have received a mail-in ballot via the US Postal Service. If you have not you will have to apply to receive a mail-in ballot. Go here to find your county's mail-in ballot application: nj.gov/state/elections/vote-by-mail.shtml

The last day to apply for a Mail-In Ballot by mail is this Friday, October 23rd. To receive your ballot by mail, the application must be received by the County Clerk 7 days prior to the election. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3:00 PM the day before the election.

Please follow all the instructions when completing the mail-in ballot. Any errors may cause your mail-in ballot to not be counted.

Once completed, the mail-in ballot you can:

The NJ Division of Elections has established at 2020 Election Portal that allows voters to find out their registration status, track their mail-in vote, find their polling places, and locate the nearest mail in ballot drop boxes. Go to nj.gov/state/elections/vote.shtml

Voters who are unable to vote by mail because of their disability and require the use of an accessible voting machine to vote will be able to vote in person. Each polling place will be equipped accessible voting machines.

A person with a disability who goes to their polling place will receive a certificate giving them permission to use the accessible machine.

Those without disabilities are also permitted to vote in person. These individuals will vote provisionally (paper ballot). The provisional ballot is used to determine a voter's eligibility to vote. Once eligibility is made, the provisional ballot will count.

Although the election is November 3rd, many Jerseyans have already cast their ballot using the mail-in drop box that have been set up throughout the state.

However, we have received complaints from voters with disabilities who say that some of these boxes were placed in inaccessible locations or positioned in a way that makes it difficult for someone using a wheelchair to use.

Some mail-in ballot drop boxes, for example, have been placed in locations that are not accessible by curve cut, or on sidewalks that leave little room to maneuver a wheelchair.

If your mail-in ballot drop box is located in an inaccessible spot, ACI and REV UP NJ would like to know! Contact Luke at lkoppisch@adacil.org. We are gathering this information in order to advocate on this issue with the NJ Division of Elections. Also, please contact your county's Board of Elections and let them know the situation. Click here to find your Board of Elections.

As we approach Election Day on November 3rd, it is more important than ever to have conversations about why voting is so crucial in the disability community. Help us convey this by sending in your stories and answering the question of what motivates you to vote? Do you vote to support affordable and accessible healthcare, accessible public transit, civil rights for the intersectional disability community, inclusive education, the end of subminimum wage, or something else? Who or what is your driving force when casting your ballot? Please share your experience with the form at the link below by Thursday, October 22.

NJ COVID-19 Information Hub

If you have any questions, please contact Luke Koppisch at lkoppisch@adacil.org or 732-738-4388.

629 Amboy Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 ● 732-738-4388 ● adacil@adacil.org ● adacil.org