Ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, both New York and New Jersey will hold early voting from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1. Voters can avoid Election Day lines, and polling sites are open on weekends. Applications for a mail-in ballot are due Oct. 24 in New York and Oct. 27 in New Jersey. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13 in New Jersey and Oct. 24 in New York.
The Nov. 3 midterm elections are just over a month away. Because Election Day falls on a Tuesday, many working people find it hard to make time, but both New York and New Jersey offer early voting. It runs for nine days, from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1.
Early voting sites are open on weekends, too, and you are unlikely to face the long lines of Election Day. However, there are fewer sites than on Election Day, and hours vary by county, so check in advance which sites are open near you.
Key Dates
To vote by mail, you must first submit an application. In New York, the county board of elections must receive your application by Oct. 24; in New Jersey, mailed applications are due Oct. 27. Even if you miss that deadline in New Jersey, you can still apply by visiting your county office in person until 3 p.m. on Nov. 2.
If you receive a mail-in ballot, the most important thing is not to forget to sign it. A ballot with no signature, or with a signature that does not match the one on file, will be rejected. You must also follow the instructions exactly when placing the ballot in the inner certificate envelope and sealing it. If you are worried about mail delays, you can deliver it in person to your county board of elections office or to a designated drop box.
This election will fill every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, along with a number of local offices in New Jersey and New York. In Bergen County and Queens, both home to large Korean American communities, many areas will also hold municipal elections, so issues that directly affect daily life, such as school budgets and property taxes, are at stake.
If you have not yet registered to vote, do that first. The deadline is Oct. 13 in New Jersey and Oct. 24 in New York, and U.S. citizens can finish online in a few minutes. If you have moved and have not updated your address, it is safest to check your registration information first.