In New York, voters can potentially see their votes for the 2020 election not be counted because they used Scotch tape to secure their mail-in ballots.
Can the same happen here in New Jersey — where nearly three million voters have already sent in their ballots for Tuesday’s big election?
Simply put, no. There is no statewide regulation in place that prohibits voters from using tape to seal either the inner or outer envelopes of their mail-in ballots, Alicia D’Alessandro, spokeswoman for the New Jersey secretary of state, confirmed Wednesday.
And, although the size and layout of mail-in ballots may differ in each county, county officials have not implemented any restrictions on the use of tape to seal the ballots, D’Alessandro added.
“I can’t imagine ... not allowing someone to tape their ballots before mailing them out," Wade Hale, deputy county clerk of Burlington County, said. “That would be strange.”
Still, D’Alessandro warned that county officials can reject ballots that “may have been messed around with" — which the use of tape could potentially indicate.
“If the ballot appears to have been unsealed and retaped, that’s going to raise red flags because the county is going to err on the side of not accepting a ballot that appears to have been tampered with,” D’Alessandro said.
Every active registered voter in New Jersey was supposed to receive a mail-in ballot for the November general election.
Beth Thompson, supervisor for the Hunterdon County Board of Elections, said ballots appearing to have been meddled with will be set aside instead of counted.
“We just want to make sure that the ballot, when it arrives to us, doesn’t look like it has been tampered with. And if it is, then we will isolate it, put it before the commissioners, have them make a decision on whether we’re going to contact that person immediately ... and go from there," Thompson said.
“Don’t send us something that looks like it’s been ripped open, taken out ... and put back in," she added.
However, tape used as an initial adhesive — perhaps because the envelope glue might not stick well — or as a layer of extra protection will be accepted if the ballot has not been torn or otherwise noticeably altered.
“There’s more than 6 million ballots mailed. I’m certain that at least a few of them will have defective glue. And you can certainly use tape to seal an envelope that will not glue shut," D’Alessandro said.
‘Don’t lick the envelope’
Middlesex County has offered up tips on how best to seal the envelope the ballot is placed inside. In a video on Facebook, the county recommends voters should seal the envelope with an adhesive, like a glue stick, or damp sponge, adding, "We want to keep you safe, so please don’t lick the envelope.”
Instead of ripping open or otherwise damaging their mail-in ballot, individuals who believe they have made a mistake should visit their county clerk’s office and request a new ballot.
To ensure that the mail-in ballot is filled out and assembled correctly, Garden State residents should follow these basic steps. And for those who are concerned about the U.S. Postal Service delivering their ballot in time for it to be counted, here is a list of secure drop boxes in each New Jersey county where completed ballots can be dropped off.
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Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com
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October 29, 2020 at 05:15AM
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Yes, N.J. voters, you can use Scotch tape to seal your mail-in ballot envelopes. But, it’s not recommended. - NJ.com
"seal" - Google News
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