1. There are 3 envelopes
·(1) The large outer envelope · (2) The inner envelope which is the return mailing envelope
· (3) The certification envelope which is the envelope that the ballot is placed in
2. Prior to opening the large outer envelope, check to make sure that it is your name on the label, the correct address, the correct municipality and the correct Congressional District.
3. If there are any errors, do not open the large envelope and contact your County Clerk’s Office.
4. If everything is correct, you should open the large outer envelope. At the end of the voting process, you can throw out the large outer envelope. The smaller inner envelope - is the envelope that is the return mailing envelope. You must keep that envelope as you will put the completed ballot in it.
5. The inner envelope will have the certification envelope and the ACTUAL VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT.
6. You should read the complete ballot before voting. Please check the top right of the ballot to ensure that you received the ballot for the correct municipality and the correct voting district
(which will be found on the label on the large outer envelope).
7. PLEASE NOTE - YOU CANNOT VOTE FOR MORE THAN THE ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF CANDIDATES PER OFFICE. For example, if the voter votes for 3 individuals when the ballot says vote for 2, the vote for that office is considered an overvote, and the vote for that office WILL NOT COUNT.
8. If the candidate of your choice is pre-printed on the ballot, there is no need to handwrite the candidate’s name in the “Personal Choice” section of the ballot. Doing so may cause the election scanners to read two names and cause an overvote which means the vote will not count.
9. Please look at BOTH sides of the ballot, as some ballots will have candidates on both sides.
10. Once you are satisfied with your vote, fold the ballot and place it into the CERTIFICATION ENVELOPE. The certification envelope has a large flap on it that requires
your complete address and signature.
11. You must complete the residency portion of the certification envelope with your registered address. PLEASE NOTE - IF YOU COMPLETE THE CERTIFICATION WITH THE ADDRESS THE BALLOT WAS MAILED TO AND NOT YOUR REGISTERED ADDRESS, YOUR VOTE MAY NOT COUNT.
12. YOU MUST SIGN the certification envelope where the big RED X is on the certification envelope.
If the voter does not sign the certification envelope by the RED X the vote will not count.
13. You must sign the certification envelope with the signature you most often use. The signature must match or at least resemble the signature on your registration or mail in ballot application.
14. If you need assistance in completing the ballot and/or the certification envelope, the assistor must complete the assistor section of the Certification envelope. EVEN IF THE ASSISTOR COMPLETES THE CERTIFICATION ENVELOPE, YOU (THE VOTER) AND NOT THE ASSISTOR MUST SIGN BY THE RED X. THE ASSISTOR CANNOT SIGN FOR THE VOTER.
15. The ballot goes into the Inner Envelope and sealed. That Inner Envelope then goes inside the Outer Return Envelope, which has the prepaid postage and sealed.
16. The certification envelope is placed into the Inner envelope - which is the envelope with the
address pre-printed on it.
17. Seal the return mail envelope and mail it with the postman, drop it into a mailbox or
bring it to the post office.
18. The return mail envelope may also be dropped off at your counties ballot box.
There are drop boxes around each County where you can drop the return mail envelope.
Ballot box locations can be found on each County Clerk's website.
19. IN ORDER FOR THE BALLOT TO COUNT, THE RETURN MAILING ENVELOPE MUST BE POSTMARKED BY THE POST OFFICE NO LATER THAN ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 3, 2020.
All 21 County Board of Election offices urge voters to vote ASAP to help them maintain the pace of the process.
