Montclair State Votes

As a “Voter Friendly Campus” that earned a place on Washington Monthly’s list of “Best Colleges for Student Voting” in 2020, the Office of Civic & Voter Engagement will be working to register voters between now and the New Jersey voter registration deadline of Oct. 12, 2021.

This November 2, New Jersey will go to the polls to vote in the gubernatorial election, as well as answer some ballot questions and elect a few state senate and general assembly members, depending on the district.

Below are some election updates and information to help the University community prepare.

NJ Voter Registration Deadline: October 12, 2021
NJ Early Voting: October 23-31
Election Day: Tuesday, November 2, 2021

TurboVote This customized online resource can assist with registering to vote, requesting a vote by mail or absentee ballot, receiving election updates, confirming your polling location and more.

NJ Election Updates:

• NJ now has in-person early voting. Select polls in each county will be open October 23-31.
• This year, you must request a vote-by-mail ballot. It will not be automatically sent to you the way it was for the 2020 election.
• Secure Ballot Drop Boxes on Campus. The Montclair campus spreads across two counties (Essex & Passaic). Each county will have a ballot box on campus.
  • The Essex County box will be in the parking lot across from the Red Hawk Statue next to the USPS mailbox, FedEx box, and UPS box.
  • The Passaic County box will be placed outside Machuga Heights.

If you place your vote-by-mail ballot in another county’s ballot box it will be re-routed to your county, but it will cause a delay. You can also drop off your ballot in a USPS mailbox.

• For more information about New Jersey Elections visit vote.nj.gov

Help Montclair State University win the NJ Ballot Bowl!

Montclair is once again participating in the NJ Secretary of State’s Ballot Bowl competition. We have placed in our bracket for the past three years. In this competition, we get points for registering new voters, and having eligible voters take the pledge to vote. (We are currently in second place on the pledge to vote leaderboard, behind Rowan University. The leaderboard is updated weekly.)

Get involved by joining the Montclair State Votes Coalition

If civic and voter engagement is important to you, consider joining the Montclair State Votes Coalition. The coalition meets monthly to share updates and information and to plan ways of raising awareness in our community. Next meeting: Monday, October 11 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. For more information or to attend a future meeting email montclairstatevotes@montclair.edu.

Become a Poll Worker – Your community needs you!

By staffing a polling location, you will:

• Earn $14.29 per hour on in-person early voting days and $200 on Election Day.
• Earn an additional $30 when you attend required training provided by your county’s Board of Elections and fulfill your commitment at the polls.
• See our great democracy in action, firsthand, and enjoy the feeling that comes with contributing to your local community, your state and your country.