Hanlon Announces Hotline For Vote-By-Mail Voters

Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon

Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon has established a hotline for Vote-By-Mail voters to verify that their ballots have been received or for voters who have had their ballot returned to their home by the Post Office to call for assistance or instructions.

The dedicated phone number to call is 732-303-2900. Calls will be answered between 8:30 am and 4:3o pm, Monday through Friday.

Hanlon announced on Wednesday that there was an issue with a small number of voters reporting that their ballots were returned to their homes by the Post Office, instead of being delivered to the Board of Elections in Freehold. On Wednesday over 4,700 of over 23,000 ballots had already been returned to the Board of Elections. By Friday morning more than 7,400 ballots have been properly received by the Board.

But about 30 voters called the Clerk’s Office to complain that the Post Office had returned their ballots to them and The Asbury Park Press reported that two voters called them instead of the Clerk’s Office.

Hanlon determined that Postal Service scanners have been picking up the tracking label on the return address of some ballots as the “mail to” address. Members of her staff and the Postal Service headquarters in Trenton have worked on a solution.

Voters are advised that to return the ballot, they can just put the ballot back in the mail. No additional postage is necessary.

If needed, the County Clerk’s Office will provide a new envelope to voters who have had their ballots returned by the Post Office. Call the hotline number, 732-303-2900.

Additionally, Vote-By-Mail ballots can be hand delivered to the Monmouth County Board of Elections, 300 Halls Mill Rd, Freehold, NJ 07728, either by the voter or a duly appointed bearer.

Mail-in ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 8PM on Election Day, November 8. The deadline for requesting a Vote-By Mail Ballot vial mail is 3PM on November 1. Voters who miss the deadline to receive a ballot by mail and make an in-person Mail-In Ballot application at the Board of Election Office up until 3PM on November 7.

“We are committed to counting every vote in Monmouth County,” Hanlon said. “Don’t hesitate to contact us with any issues, including to confirm that your ballot has been received.”