Ballots Can Be Rejected
The security features of the Mail-in Ballot can confuse voters, causing them to make mistakes that invalidate their vote. Learn how to avoid these mistakes.
Top Reason for Rejection
Why didn't the Ballot Cure Act eliminate rejections due to "Signature Does Not Match?"
We still have too many ballot rejections due to signature mismatch and signature missing. In both instances, under the law, voters would be allowed to provide an updated signature and get their ballots counted. Many voters declined to return their Cure Forms believing that it didn’t matter because the election was already over. However, these same voters may have future Mail-in ballots rejected because they failed to provide an updated signature to use for signature comparison in future elections. If you receive a Cure Form, be sure to return the form with your updated signature.
It is still a small percentage of all votes cast
In the 2021 General Election, there were 594,840 VBM votes cast by New Jersey residents. There were a total of 6282 mail-in ballots that were rejected due to component errors. The top three things that voters can do to prevent their ballot from being rejected are:
- Return mail-in ballots before the deadline. The deadline is on Election Day, no later than 8pm. With ballots being sent out on a rolling basis starting September 24, voters can vote and return their ballots as soon as possible. There’s no need to wait until Election Day to return the ballot.
- DO NOT tear off the Certificate of Mail-in Ballot. The certificate is required to stay attached and there are explicit warnings of “DO NOT DETACH” yet voters inexplicably tear them off.
- Sign the Certificate of Mail-in Ballot. This is a security measure. If there’s no signature, voters will be sent a cure letter and “Cure Form” to rectify this and attest that it’s their ballot. However, for the 755 voters who still had their ballot rejected, it could only mean that the voters did not receive or return the cure form.
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