Sample ballots for the 2024 General Election are on their way to the mailboxes of thousands of Burlington County voters, and election officials are advising those voters to keep and bring them to their polling spots. It should save them time checking in on Election Day.
“For the first time, we are printing a unique bar code on voters’ sample ballots. When they arrive at the polls, workers will scan the code to quickly verify the information to ensure the voter accesses the correct ballot,” said Burlington County Clerk Joanne Schwartz. “While it’s not a requirement, bringing your sample ballot is a simple and secure way for voters to easily check in at the polls.”
Voters who arrive at the polls without their sample ballot will still be permitted to vote with machines. Poll workers will look up their name and address to confirm their registration and ensure they vote with the correct ballot.
More than 300,000 sample ballots are being mailed to all registered voters who have not yet returned a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters who believe they did not receive one in error should contact the Burlington County Clerk’s Office at 609-265-5122.
In addition to the bar code for check-in, the sample ballot contains a voter’s polling location and an image of what their ballot looks like, including the candidates for elected offices and any special questions up for vote. Copies of all towns’ sample ballots are available online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/1172/Sample-Ballots .
The sample ballots also contain a web address for an online How to Vote video that explains the process of voting with new machines being deployed to all polling locations during the early voting period and on Election Day. The video can also be viewed on the Burlington County Election Services located here: https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/593/Election-Voter-Services .
“The new machines are easy to use, and many Burlington County voters are already familiar with them from this year’s primary or from early voting in prior elections,” said Burlington County Superintendent of Elections Dawn Marie Addiego. “For voters who didn’t participate in this year’s primary election or early voting, the machines will be new and different. We’re strongly encouraging voters to watch the video to learn how the new machines work so it’s not brand new on Election Day.”
Voters with questions can also call the Burlington County Elections hotline at 609-265-VOTE (8683).