Registration & Voting Information
for College Students

1. HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE?

2. DO I REGISTER TO VOTE FROM MY COLLEGE ADDRESS OR MY PARENT'S ADDRESS?

3. IS THERE A DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

4. WHERE DO I GO TO VOTE?

5. WHEN DOES MY POLLING PLACE OPEN AND CLOSE ON ELECTION DAY?

6. WHAT IF I AM NOT ABLE TO GET TO MY POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY?

7. HOW DO I GET A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT?

8. ARE THERE DEADLINES FOR VOTING BY MAIL?

9. WHAT DO I DO WHEN I GET TO THE POLLING PLACE?

10. SHOULD I BRING ID ON ELECTION DAY?

11. WHAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFYING DOCUMENT?

12. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR ON ELECTION DAY?

13.WHAT IS A PROVISIONAL BALLOT?

14. WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY BALLOT?

15. IS THERE SOMEWHERE I CAN GET INFORMATION ABOUT MY VOTING RIGHTS?

16. HOW DO I CONTACT MY LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS?

College students register to vote in New Jersey by following the standard application process: every prospective voter must submit a voter registration application. A voter registration application and detailed information can be found by clicking here.

You can register to vote if:

You are a United States citizen,

You will be 18 years of age by the next election,

You will be a resident of the State and county 30 days before the election,

You are NOT currently serving a sentence, probation or parole because of a felony conviction.

2. DO I REGISTER TO VOTE FROM MY COLLEGE ADDRESS OR MY PARENT'S ADDRESS?

If you are in college, you have the option to register from your college address or your parent's address. There are good reasons for registering and voting at either residence, but keep in mind, the final choice is yours.

You will receive a sample ballot about 1 week before the election that will indicate where your polling place is or you can use our polling place locator by clicking here.

Polling locations are open for the Primary Election which is held in June, and the General Election in November from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.

You have the option to vote by mail.

Any registered New Jersey voter can vote by mail in any election for any reason. A Vote by Mail ballot application can be found by clicking here. A voter may vote by mail by completing the Application for Vote by Mail Ballot and returning the application to their County
Clerk. To receive your ballot by mail, the application must be received by the County Clerk 7 days prior to the election. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3:00 p.m., the day before the election.
The County Clerk cannot accept faxed or emailed copies of an Application for Vote by Mail Ballot, unless you are a Military or Overseas Voter, since an original signature is required.

If you want to receive your Vote by Mail ballot in the mail, the County Clerk must receive your Vote by Mail application no later than seven days before the election. You can get a Vote by Mail ballot in person at the County Clerk 's office up until 3:00 pm the day before the election

Vote by mail ballots must be received by the Board of Election by the close of polls on Election Day.

When you arrive at your polling location, you will be asked to state your name by the poll worker. The poll worker will find your name in the registration book and you will have to sign your name. You will then be asked to sign the voting authority book and be given a voting authority slip that will allow you to vote on the voting machine.

You do not have to provide ID to vote in NJ unless you did not provide identification information when you registered or if you are a first time registrant by mail in New Jersey and the identification information you gave could not be verified (i.e., your driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number). If you are not sure if any of these situations apply to you then you should bring ID.

An identifying document may include, but is not limited to:
Any valid and current photo ID:

NJ driver's license
Military or other Government ID
Student or Job ID
Store Membership Card

Any current document with your name and address on it:

Bank statement
Pay check
Car registration
Rent receipt
Sample Ballot
Government check or document
Utility bill
Non-photo NJ driver's license

New Jersey law prohibits voters from displaying campaign buttons or campaign clothing, such as hats or t-shirts, in polling places. Polling places are considered "protected zones" beginning from 100-feet outside the entrance of each polling place and extending into the polling room where the voting machine is located. Any person who enters a polling place wearing a campaign button or campaign clothing will be asked to remove, cover up or turn the clothing inside out.

Provisional ballots are paper ballots that are used at the polling place on election day under the following circumstances:

(1) If your registration information is missing or is incomplete in the poll book.

(2 )You moved from your registered address to another in the same county and did not notify your local election officials.

(3) You did not provide the required identification information on your registration form or you're a first time registrant by mail in New Jersey and your identification numbers could not be verified and you did not show ID to the poll workers in the polling place. For your provisional ballot to count, you have until the close of business on the second day after the election to provide your county commissioner of registration with the required ID information. You will be given instructions at your polling place on where to bring the ID.

(4) There is a marking in the poll book that you applied for a Vote by Mail ballot, but you did not apply for one, you applied for one but did not receive it, or you received it but did not return it.

Affirmation Statement

Prior to voting the provisional ballot or immediately thereafter, the voter shall complete the affirmation statement attached to the provisional ballot envelope. It is important that all information be completed and the affirmation statement is signed in order for the provisional ballot to be counted.

Emergency ballots are paper ballots used in the polling place if the voting machine(s) becomes inoperable or if there is only one voting machine in the election district and the audio kit is being used for an extended period of time.

A copy of the New Jersey Voters' Bill of Rights poster is available by clicking here.

A list of local election officials is available by clicking here.