FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Clerks Office in Freehold has been getting undelivered mail-in-ballots returned to their offices that were intended to go to registered voters this month. In total, according to Monmouth County Clerk Christine Hanlon, at least 12,000 in her county alone have been returned.
“Pursuant to the State’s general election mandate, all County Clerks in the State of New Jersey have been required to automatically send mail-in ballots to voters who are listed as active in the Statewide Voter Registration System. County Clerks have had to rely on the voter information and addresses listed in this State system, however, the County Clerks do not have any jurisdiction to update or maintain this State voter registration system,” Hanlon said in a statement. “As seen in these photos, the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office has received 32 trays of ballots that were returned and deemed undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service. Clerk Hanlon is advising voters that election mail cannot be forwarded to a different address via U.S. Postal Service and that their mailing addresses are not automatically updated in the State system when they move out of town, County, or State.”
If voters have their mail being forwarded through the U.S. Postal Service, they will need to send a request to the County Clerk’s Office to have their ballots mailed to an alternate address. Voters who have not yet received their ballots are asked to email ClerkOfElections@co.monmouth.nj.us with their name, address and date of birth so the ballot can be reissued to them. Voters can also visit the County Clerk’s Election Office in-person at 300 Halls Mill Road in Freehold, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to obtain a reissued ballot.
Ocean County Clerk Scott Colabella said his office had received 2,000 undeliverable ballots.
Ocean County voters who have misplaced, damaged, or did not receive a Vote by Mail Ballot may seek assistance in-person from our County Clerk Election Staff at the Mancini Room of the Ocean County Library located at 101 Washington Street in Toms River. Staff is available 8 am until 4:30 pm Mon thru Fri and we will be open on Monday, October 12th, Columbus Day, 9 am until 4 pm.
