Vote-By-Mail Hours Extended Response to Hurricane Sandy

In response to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi will open her offices in Elizabeth and Westfield on Saturday, November 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday November 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for voters seeking last-minute Vote-By-Mail ballots.

The office in Elizabeth at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113, and the office in Westfield at 300 North Avenue East, will be open as a public service for those voters who choose the Vote-By-Mail option for the Presidential Election to be held on Tuesday, November 6.

“In the after-math of Hurricane Sandy, there have been many inquiries as to how power-outages and mail delays will effect voting procedures for the general election,” Rajoppi said. “In order to ensure that every Union County resident has the opportunity to have their vote counted, we’ve made the decision to extend hours for the Vote-By-Mail service.”

Sample ballots for the Presidential Election in each Union County municipality may be viewed by going to the County Clerk’s website: http://ucnj.org/sample-ballots.

The Vote-By- Mail option allows voters to pick up their ballots, vote in privacy and deposit them in a secured lockbox – all at the same office through 3:00 p.m. on Monday, November 5. Completed ballots will be kept in a secure lockbox under the control of the Union County Board of Elections, who will collect them for counting.
“We are hoping that this option will make voting more accessible, particularly for senior citizens and those who have been adversely affected by the severe weather this week.” Rajoppi said.

Regular office hours at the Westfield Annex of the County Clerk are 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The County Clerk’s office has processed more than 10,000 mail-in ballots to date for the Presidential Election and expects the number to exceed 17,000 by Election Day, Tuesday, November 6.

To obtain a Vote-By-Mail application, voters may download the form at the Clerk’s website:http://ucnj.org/vote-by-mail, or obtain one in person at the Clerk’s office. For more information, please contact the County Clerk’s office at 908-527-4996.