Stephen Colbert encourages fellow New Jersey residents to vote in 2020 election

Stephen Colbert’s "Better Know a Ballot" campaign turned its attention to New Jersey this week, as the Garden State resident and late night TV host offered his fellow New Jerseyans a light-hearted and simple guide to voting this fall.

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Colbert’s initiative is to ensure that residents of every state are aware of how to submit their ballot for the November election amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, he put together a similar guide for Pennsylvania voters.

New Jersey residents need to register to vote by Oct. 13. Each registered voter will receive a mail-in ballot, as no application is necessary. 

Residents are encouraged to make sure that their registered address is correct to ensure that one receives their ballot.

After receiving the ballot, voters should complete and return it to a county election drop box or polling place. The ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, and it should be mailed in by Oct. 27.

Over 200,000 residents have registered to vote online in New Jersey over the last month, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

New Jersey officials announced last month that voting for the Nov. 3 election will primarily be conducted by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mail-in ballots being sent to all registered voters will include pre-paid postage for their return. In-person voting will still be available, but on a limited basis on Election Day.

There will be at least one polling location in each of New Jersey's 565 municipalities. There will be roughly 10 ballot drop boxes available per county.

New Jersey will send the mail-in ballots to voters no later than Oct. 5. Ballots must arrive to the county election board by 8 p.m. on Nov. 10.

Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden holds an 18.8 point lead over incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in New Jersey, according to the RealClearPolitics average. The state has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988.