Oct. 30 is Deadline to Request Vote-By-Mail

Those wishing to vote by mail have until Tuesday, Oct. 30 -- seven days before the election -- to request a vote-by-mail ballot through the mail.

Mail-in ballots will be issued in person up until 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, Ocean County Clerk Scott Colabella said.

All voted vote-by-mail ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. on Election Day, according to the state law.

Colabella said earlier this month the clerk's office was seeing a surge of requests for vote-by-mail ballots, surpassing figures for the last presidential election in 2008.

To deal with the rush of requests, the clerk's office has again scheduled longer hours. Colabella said the clerk's office will have evening hours on Thursday, Nov. 1 and Friday, Nov. 2, as well as Saturday hours, at the county courthouse in Toms River. The times have not been finalized but will be announced as soon as they are, he said.

Those who wish to vote by mail must be registered voters. The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 16.

The county clerk's main office in Toms River at 118 Washington St., or at the Southern Service Center, 179 South Main St., Manahawkin, are drop-off points for the ballots.