Democrats will see a new kind of ballot in the primary June 4, and should be aware of the change before either filling out their absentee ballot or voting at the polls.
Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon advised Democratic voters that the ballot will appear in a new format as a result of a federal court order indicating the new Democratic ballots are now in “block” ballot design.
In this new design, candidates for each individual office are listed in random order in separate ballot boxes as opposed to being “bracketed”, where candidates for different offices were grouped together in a column and appear as a “ticket.”
This change does not apply to the Republican Primary Election, as it was not affected by the court order, the county clerk said. .
“It is always recommended for all voters to review their sample ballot prior to voting to become familiar with the ballot as well as the names of the candidates,” Hanlon said. “ This allows for a smoother process at the polls.”
Sample ballots for all 53 Monmouth County municipalities will be sent to voters according to New Jersey law and will also be available online at MonmouthCountyVotes.com and on the County Clerk’s free Monmouth County Votes mobile app.
For questions about the Primary Election, contact the County Clerk’s Elections Office at 732-431-7790.
The Office of the Monmouth County Clerk is comprised of five divisions handling property recordings, elections, archives, passports and records management. The County Clerk’s Office also provides resident, veteran and Gold Star Family identification cards to county residents, administers oaths to notaries and public officials and performs wedding ceremonies.
The Monmouth County Clerk is a constitutional and administrative officer elected to a five-year term by the voters of Monmouth County. Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq. was elected Monmouth County Clerk in November 2015 and was re-elected to a second term in November 2020.
