Hunterdon County officials: Make sure your vote is counted; Sign and seal certificate envelope when submitting vote by mail ballot

HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – State law requires that vote by mail ballots submitted to the Hunterdon County Board of Elections must be placed inside the voting certificate envelope, and the certificate must be signed, in order for your vote to be counted, County Clerk Mary Melfi and Board of Elections Administrator Beth Thompson said.

Freeholder John E. Lanza, the Board’s liaison for the County Clerk’s Office and the Board of Election, said, “The instructions from County Clerk Mary Melfi and Board of Elections Administrator Beth Thompson need to be reiterated again in order for voters to feel confident during this vote by mail election. Voters can watch the video which shows what to do with the envelope, and if they still have questions, they are able to call the Clerk’s office or the Board of Elections for additional instructions.”

“Both Clerk Melfi and Administrator Thompson, and their staff, have gone above and beyond during this election while we are still experiencing the COVID-19 health crisis. The Freeholder Board is grateful to them and appreciates their willingness to make videos and answer the calls made by county residents who need help
with this process,” Lanza said.

The County Clerk and Elections Administrator made their announcement due to the numerous calls from voters concerned about how to return their vote by mail ballot – because for most voters this is their first experience
with a vote by mail election.

Board of Elections Administrator Thompson said, “Under state law, unsigned certificates cannot be processed and counted. Also, ballots not in the sealed certificate envelopes will not be counted. Voters must place their ballot in the certificate envelope, seal it and sign the flap. Then place it in the Transport Envelope (the return envelope addressed to the Hunterdon County Board of Elections that also provides first class postage if mailing). It is also important not to detach the certificate,”

Ballots can be dropped off into secure Board of Elections drop boxes located around the county or at
the Hunterdon County Board of Elections Office, located at 71 Main Street, in Flemington, or they can be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service.

Drop boxes and the Board of Elections Office will receive ballots up until November 3 at 8:00 p.m. Secure drop boxes, from which sealed ballots are retrieved daily, are located at these sites:

• GLEN GARDNER BOROUGH:
  Glen Gardner Municipal Building
  83 Main St., Glen Gardner NJ 08826
• HOLLAND TOWNSHIP:
  Holland Township Municipal Building
  61 Church Rd, Milford NJ 08848
• LAMBERTVILLE CITY:
  Phillip J Pittore Justice Center
  25 S Union St., Lambertville NJ 08530
• RARITAN TOWNSHIP:
  Hunterdon County Public Library
  314 Rt 12 Bldg. 3, Flemington NJ 08822
• READINGTON TOWNSHIP:
  Readington Township Municipal Building
  509 Rt 523, Whitehouse Sta NJ 08889
• CLINTON TOWN:
  North Branch County Library
  65 Halstead St., Clinton
• CLINTON TOWNSHIP
  Public Safety Building
  1370 RT. 31 No. Annandale, NJ 08801
• FLEMINGTON BOROUGH:
  Hunterdon County Clerk – Hall of Records
  71 Main St., Flemington NJ 08822
• FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP:
  Franklin Township Municipal Building
  202 Sidney Road, Pittstown NJ 08867
• LEBANON TOWNSHIP:
  Lebanon Township Municipal Building, 530 West Hill Road, Glen Gardner, NJ 08826
• TEWKSBURY TOWNSHIP:
  Tewksbury Township Municipal Building
  169 Old Turnpike Rd, Califon NJ 07830
• UNION TOWNSHIP:
  Union Township Municipal Building
  140 Perryville Rd., Hampton, NJ 08827