TRENTON, NJ – It took more than a month for New Jersey’s county election boards to count and process all of the July primary election ballots. That count has not yet even been completed, yet the election has been certified. Now, Governor Phil Murphy is preparing for another long and drawn out election ballot count. It might not be until December this year when Americans know who their next president will be.
Today, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order to make modifications to this year’s primarily vote-by-mail (VBM) General Election. The order clarifies Executive Order No. 177.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to reevaluate the way we typically hold our elections,” said Governor Murphy. “With today’s executive order, we are implementing revised requirements to alleviate concerns and provide clarity to voters as they cast their votes.
The order requires county clerks to publish a notice reflecting this year’s primarily vote-by-mail process, permits county boards of elections to continue counting ballots every day until counting is completed and requires election audits to be completed by December 4, 2020.