123K Election Ballots Already Submitted In Somerset County

Alexis Tarrazi
·7 min read

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — The Somerset County Board of Elections began the scanning of a "record number" of paper vote-by-mail ballots for the 2020 General Election on Tuesdya.

The county scanned 23,800 ballots out of the about 123,000 ballots submitted. The count already exceeds the total number of Somerset County mail-in ballots from the last presidential election counted by more than 10,000.

Ballots are allowed to begin to be counted on Oct. 28 after the New Jersey State Legislature passed a trio of election laws in August. Among those laws included allowing counties for the first time ever to begin the counting of ballots as early as 10 days before polls close to mitigate the large volume of paper ballots being mailed in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The process for ensuring every voter who wants to vote can, and that every ballot counted is a valid ballot, is rigorous and detailed, but the Commissioners and I have worked hard to create a secure, seamless process," said Board of Elections Administrator Jerry Midgette. "More than 100 county employees supported by National Guard members are working cooperatively to receive, verify, open, count, and secure every ballot to ensure a free and fair election."

Somerset County Clerk Steve Peter says he expects around 180,000 ballots to be cast in total based on the ballots sent, more than 10,000 new voters registering since Labor Day, and the volume of ballots returned early.

In the 2016 presidential election, the State of New Jersey reported a total of 157,092 ballots cast, slightly more than 13,500 by mail-in-ballot.

"We've provided more than a quarter-million ballots to voters, and we are already seeing record turnout which will likely continue through next Tuesday," said Peter. "We will continue to provide ballots and voter assistance at our office in Somerville for anyone who needs a replacement because of a misplaced, damaged, or improperly filled out ballot."

For early ballot submission, voters can ballots can be dropped in the designated Drop Boxes throughout Somerset County.

The dropbox will be emptied each day by employees of Somerset County. Ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by the close of polls on Election Day at 8 p.m. Ballots that are postmarked by Nov. 3 can be counted if they are received no later than 8 p.m. on Nov. 9. In addition, for this election, ballots received from the United States Postal Service within 48 hours after Nov. 3rd without a postmark can also be counted.

Here are the locations of other dropboxes in Somerset County (All boxes will be under video surveillance at all times):

  • Bernards: Municipal Building, 1 Collyer Lane

  • Bernardsville: Borough Hall, 166 Mine Brook Road

  • Bedminster: Municipal Building, 1 Miller Lane

  • Warren: Municipal Building, 46 Mountain Blvd

  • North Plainfield: Community Center, 614 Greenbrook Road

  • Bridgewater: Municipal Building, 100 Commons Way

  • Branchburg: Municipal Building, 1077 Route 202

  • Somerville: Administration Building, 20 Grove Street

  • Bound Brook: Borough Hall, 230 Hamilton Street

  • Manville: Municipal Building, 325 North Main Street

  • Hillsborough: Municipal Building, 379 South Branch Road

  • Franklin: Municipal Building, 475 Demott Lane

  • Montgomery: Municipal Building, 2261 Route 206

Voters can also come to the County Administration Building at 20 Grove St. in Somerville from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day to provide assistance to voters in submitting ballots, or obtaining a replacement for lost or damaged ballots. Voters must wear a face mask and practice social distancing during these hours.

Additionally, completed/voted mail-in ballots can be delivered to your respective polling location and handed in there. (There will be no machine voting in NJ)

Polls will be open from 6 a.m.to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Here are the polling locations available in Somerset County:

Bedminster Township

  • Municipal Building, 1 Miller Lane, Bedminster (Districts 1,2,3,8,9)

  • Fellowship Hall Pluckemin Presbyterian Church, 279 Route 202 206, Pluckemin (Districts 4,5,6,7)

Bernards Township

  • Bernards Township Community Center Garage, 289 South Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge (Districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 17)

  • Fellowship Deaconry, 3575 Valley Rd, Basking Ridge (Districts 4, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18-24)

Bernardsville

  • Bernardsville Library, 1 Anderson Hill Road (Districts 1,2, 7)

  • First Presbyterian Church-Fellowship Hall. 321 Mine Brook Rd (Districts 3, 4, 5, 6)

Bound Brook

  • Codrington Park Recreation Center, 200 Thompson Avenue

Branchburg Township

  • Branchburg DPW Annex, 34 Kenbury Rd (Districts 1-3, 13)

  • Branchburg Municipal Building, 1077 Rt 202 (Dist. 6, 8, 9, 11,12,14)

  • Branchburg Rescue Squad Building 113 River Rd (Districts 4,5,7,10)

Bridgewater Township

  • Blessed Sacrament Parish Center, 1890 Washington Valley Road(Districts 6, 10, 12, 17, 20, 23, 24)

  • Bradley Gardens Firehouse, 24 Old York Rd (Districts 1, 2, 5, 16, 31, 33, 34, 35)

  • Bridgewater Municipal Court Meeting Rm 102, 100 Commons Way (Districts 4, 11, 13, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29)

  • Bridgewater Township Senior Citizen Center, 455 Somerville Road (Districts 7, 18, 19, 21, 30, 32, 36)

  • Finderne Rescue Squad, 476 Union Ave (Route 28) (Districts 3,8,9,14,15, 27)

Far Hills Borough

  • Far Hills Municipal Building Courtroom, 6 Prospect Street, Far Hills

Franklin Township

  • Griggstown Firehouse, 1037 Canal Road, South of Bunker Hill, Princeton (Districts 1-7)

  • Community/Senior Center, 505 Demott Lane, Somerset (Districts 17-22, 24-29)

  • Board of Education Building, 2301 Route 27, Somerset (Districts 8-10, 30-34)

  • Parkside Community Center, 3 Parkside Street, Somerset (Districts 35-43)

  • East Franklin Firehouse, 121 Pine Grove Avenue, Somerset (Districts 44-48)

  • Somerset Presbyterian Church, 100 JFK Blvd, Somerset (Districts 23, 49-51)

  • Zarephath Christian Church Children's Ministry Ctr, 595 Weston Canal Rd, Somerset (Districts 11-16)

Green Brook Township

  • Green Brook Middle School, 132 Jefferson Avenue (Dist 1, 3, 4, 6)

  • Green Brook Firehouse No.2, Washington Rock Rd West (Dist 2, 5)

Hillsborough Township

  • Municipal Building, 379 South Branch Road (Districts 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 21, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32)

  • Auten Road Intermediate School, 281 Auten Road (Districts 2, 13, 14, 16, 19, 33)

  • Amsterdam School, 301 Amsterdam Drive (Districts 9,11, 20, 25, 27)

  • Hillsborough High School Library-Side Entrance, 466 Raider Blvd. (Districts 4, 18, 22, 23, 31)

  • Hillsborough Middle School, 260 Triangle Rd (Districts 5-7, 12, 17)

Manville Borough

  • V.F.W., Main Hall, 600 Washington Avenue

Millstone Borough

  • Borough Hall, 1353 Main Street

Montgomery Township

  • Central Jersey Masonic Center, 345 Kingston-River Road, Princeton (Districts 1, 13, 18)

  • Otto Kaufman Community Center, 356 Skillman Road, Skillman (Districts 2-4, 16, 19)

  • Montgomery Evangelical Free Church, 246 Griggstown Road, Belle Mead (Districts 5, 6, 10-12, 17)

  • Montgomery Township Municipal Building, 2261 Route 206, Belle Mead (Districts 7- 9, 14, 15)

North Plainfield Borough

  • North Plainfield Community Center, 614 Greenbrook Road (Districts 5-7, 11)

  • Church of the Holy Cross, 40 Mercer Ave (Districts 1,3, 9)

  • East End School, 170 Oneida Ave (Districts 2, 4, 8, 10, 12)

Peapack Gladstone Borough

  • Peapack & Gladstone Municipal Complex, 1 School Street, Peapack

Raritan Borough

  • Municipal Building, 22 First Street (Districts 1,2, 4)

  • Relief Hose Co. #2 Fire Dept., North Thompson St (Districts 3, 5)

Rocky Hill Borough

  • Borough Hall, 15 Montgomery Avenue

Somerville Borough

  • Lincoln Hose Company, 34 Warren Street (Districts 4- 6, 8)

  • West End Hose Company, 135 West High Street (Districts 1-3, 7, 9)

South Bound Brook Borough

  • Robert Morris School, 122 Elizabeth St (Madison Street Entrance)

Warren Township

  • Pilgrim Congregational Church, 105 Mountainview Rd (Dist 1-4)

  • Stonecrest Community Church, 11 Technology Dr. N (Dist 5-10)

  • Warren Municipal Court, 44 Mountain Blvd. (Districts 11-13)

Watchung Borough

  • Watchung Firemen's Exempt Hall, 31 Mountain Blvd. (Dist 1, 3, 4)

  • Wilson Memorial Church, 7 Valley Rd. (Districts 2, 5)

Somerset County has compiled information, video tutorials, and other support for the 2020 General Election at co.somerset.nj.us/2020General.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

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This article originally appeared on the Hillsborough Patch