New Jersey residents can vote early in this year’s presidential election after the state approved this option in 2021. This option allows all registered voters to cast their ballots in person, using voting machines, during the early voting period before Election Day on November 5.

Early voting opens in NJ and it begins on Saturday, October 26, and runs through Sunday, November 3. Polling locations open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and open at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. on Sundays. Voters do not need appointments, and locations will accommodate individuals with disabilities.

Voters can choose to cast their ballots at any designated early voting location within their county, regardless of their home address. They can find specific locations at VOTE.NJ.GOV.

Voters who receive a mail-in ballot must use that ballot to vote. If they lose or damage their mail-in ballot, they should contact their county clerk to request a replacement. Those who attempt to vote in person with a mail-in ballot will cast a provisional ballot. This measure helps prevent voter fraud and ensures officials count ballots if a voter’s eligibility gets confirmed after Election Day.

In the previous general election, over 545,000 voters cast their ballots before polls officially opened, including 124,197 from early in-person voting and 421,573 from mail-in ballots, according to the state’s Division of Elections.

Currently, New Jersey has approximately 6,659,963 registered voters, representing about 71% of the state’s population. Each county in North Jersey has designated early voting locations: Bergen County has nine sites, Essex County has ten, Morris County has eight, Passaic County has ten, and Sussex County has three.