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Mazzeo & Armato Applaud Election Day Preparations in Atlantic County

(TRENTON) – With one day left until Election Day, Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo and John Armato (both D-Atlantic) toured the Atlantic County Voting Machine Warehouse to gain insight into how officials are preparing for New Jersey’s first primarily vote-by-mail election.

“Election Day will look a very different this year, but our commitment to a safe, secure and democratic process remains the same,” said Mazzeo. “With the enormous amount of planning and coordination underway by elections offices, every voter should have complete confidence that their vote will be counted and their voice will be heard.”

The Assemblymen learned how poll workers will transport and return an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots and provisional ballots.  Atlantic County recently received a grant to purchase transfer cases for provisional ballots and PPE equipment to be transported to and from polling sites, as well as two large vans to assist with voting machine transport and mail-in ballot pickups from secure drop-boxes.

Ballots are recorded and safely stored before they are counted. Poll workers began counting ballots October 24th in an effort to ensure votes are tallied quickly and efficiently.

Poll workers have received comprehensive training to ensure all ballots are counted and appropriate COVID-19 safety measures are in place. The New Jersey National Guard are also assisting with both pre-and-post election ballot processes.

“Elections officials and poll workers have been working diligently behind the scenes to ensure this election is successful,” said Armato. “The fact that over three million ballots have been received to date – about 90 percent of the total vote in New Jersey in 2016 – signals that the vote-by-mail process is working. I’m proud of all we have done to ensure voting is simple and accessible, even in the middle of a global pandemic.”

Voters who have yet to return their ballot may drop it in a drop box or hand it to a poll worker at their local polling site on Election Day. Provisional ballots will be available at polling sites for residents to vote in person.

To find a drop box or polling location, visit https://www.nj.gov/state/elections.