Primary Election Day is this Tuesday, June 10, and offers registered Democrats and Republicans the opportunity to help select their party’s candidates for this fall’s General Election.
Early voting has already started, but for voters planning to cast ballots this Tuesday, here are a few helpful tips:
You must declare a party to vote in the New Jersey Primary
New Jersey is a closed primary, which means only declared Republicans and Democrats can cast ballots in their party’s respective elections.
Unaffiliated voters can participate by declaring a party affiliation with the Republican or Democratic party in advance of the election or at the polls during early voting or Primary Election Day.
Registered Republicans and Democrats cannot switch parties on Primary Election Day.
You don’t have to wait until Tuesday to vote
Early voting is underway across New Jersey and thousands of ballots have already been cast in Burlington County.
There are nine early voting locations open in Burlington County during the early voting period. You can find a listing of all nine at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/2103/Early-Voting .
During the early voting period, voters from any of Burlington County’s 40 municipalities can go to any of the nine early voting locations to cast their ballot with a machine. This is different from Election Day, when voters must go to their assigned polling spot in their town of residence.
The last day of early voting is Sunday, June 8. Early voting polls will be open that day from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Where to vote on Tuesday June 10?
On Primary Election Day, voters should report to their regular polling spots. Voters should check their sample ballot for their specific voting location, especially voters in Chesterfield, Medford, Mount Laurel, Shamong and Southampton, where the boundaries of voting districts were changed. There were also polling location changes for some voters in Bordentown Township, Burlington City, Evesham and Pemberton Township.
Voters can also search for their polling location online at https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote-polling-location.shtml .
When do polls open and close?
Polls will open at 6 AM and remain open until 8 PM. Voters who are in line by 8 PM on June 10 have the right to cast a vote, and polling places will remain open until the last voter in line at 8 PM has voted.
Familiarize yourself with the voting equipment
Burlington County voters headed to the polls for the New Jersey Primary Election are encouraged to review an online video explaining how to cast their ballot with the County’s voting equipment.
The machines consist of touch-screen ballot marking devices with printers and separate tabulator machines used to cast ballots after they are printed. They have been used at all early voting locations during every New Jersey Primary and General Election since 2021 and were deployed to all polling locations last year.
Regardless of whether you have used the machines previously or not, all voters are encouraged to watch the online video, which walks viewers through every step in the voting process – beginning with sign-in at the polls to selection, printing and casting ballots.
The video is located on the Burlington County Election and Voter Services page: https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/593/Election-Voter-Services
Bring your sample ballot to the polls
Voters are reminded to bring their sample ballots to the polls during early voting or on Primary Election Day for a simpler check-in.
A barcode is printed on the polling place address box on every sample ballot and can be scanned in on electronic poll books to allow voters to quickly and accurately check in. If a sample ballot does not scan properly or the voter doesn’t bring the sample ballot, they can still check in the traditional way with a poll worker.
If a voter has any difficulty checking-in at their polling place or their voter registration is incorrect in the poll book, they should contact the Superintendent of Elections at 609-265-5111. Voters should not leave their polling place without casting a provisional ballot and filling out an affidavit, which is used to verify the validity of the voter’s status.
Do not bring vote-by-mail ballots to the polls
Voters who received a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot can return them in one of three ways:
Remember all completed VBM ballots must be placed in a drop box or delivered to the Election Board by 8 PM on June 10. Ballots returned by mail need to be postmarked no later than 8 PM June 10 to be counted.
Voters who received or requested a VBM ballot for the Primary Election will be permitted to vote at their polling place on June 10 with a provisional ballot.
Disability assistance
Voters with disabilities and accessibility needs have rights at the polls. Accessible voting machines are available at every polling location and voters can request reasonable accommodations from poll workers. Voters who need help are permitted to bring a family member or friend with them to assist or ask a poll worker to help them. Employers and union representatives are not permitted to provide assistance.
Voters who experience accessibility challenges at a polling location or who are having difficulty obtaining accommodations should call the Board of Elections at 609-265-5557.