More Than 400 Mail-In Ballots Rejected in Bergen County on Election Day

In Bergen County, New Jersey, over 400 mail-in votes were discarded due to the wrong inside envelope. A county judge ordered the officials to notify impacted voters as soon as possible so they could cast provisional ballots before Election Day. State law requires mail-in ballots to include a privacy sleeve, but these did not. These guidelines require you to mail a vote using an outer envelope with your address and an inner envelope.

The county board of elections split 3-3 on whether to let voters amend their error. Party lines divided them. Republican board members did not want to tell voters, but Democrats did. Because the board couldn’t agree, votes weren’t valid until something was done immediately. The state Democratic Party sued, claiming that discarding ballots without alerting voters would violate their right to vote and create irreparable harm. The court’s decision ensured that impacted voters were informed and could utilize a provisional ticket. The court upheld the mail-in vote rejection. However, it highlighted the importance of informing voters to maintain fairness and turnout.

This case highlights New Jersey’s mail-in voting concerns. Mistakes like missing boxes or mismatched signatures can invalidate votes. Tech difficulties have thrown away many mail-in votes in the state instead of voters not being eligible. In Bergen County, little faults can prevent election boards from agreeing, preventing many individuals from voting. This warns mail-in voters to follow all instructions, including using the inner envelope correctly. It makes election authorities consider how to inform voters and ensure equal access to provisional votes.

Sources

Democracy Docket