Union County's top elections official will walk Summit's Common Council through vote-by-mail procedures at the Sept. 22 meeting, four days after ballots start going out for the Nov. 3 general election.

Nicole DiRado, administrator of the Union County Board of Elections, is scheduled to give the presentation at the Tuesday, Sept. 22, meeting, according to a city civic alert posted Sept. 10. The briefing comes as federal-state litigation over mail-in balloting remains unresolved and a key opt-out deadline falls Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Opt-out deadline is Sept. 15

Voters who do not want a mail-in ballot must email [email protected] with their full name, address and date of birth by Sept. 15. Those who opt out will receive confirmation and can vote early or at their polling place on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Voters who opt out may resume receiving mail ballots in future elections by submitting a new application.

The Union County Clerk's Office said in a Sept. 2 statement that it will process vote-by-mail ballots under New Jersey state law. Ballots must be in the mail to voters no later than Saturday, Sept. 19.

Federal litigation unresolved

The Clerk's Office acknowledged the uncertainty in its Sept. 2 statement, saying the state is in litigation with the federal government and no one yet knows the outcome.

That litigation escalated in August. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and a coalition of 24 other states sued the Trump administration on Aug. 26 to block a U.S. Postal Service rule they said would restrict mail-in voting, Jersey Vindicator reported.

"The USPS's new rule purports to restrict mail-in voting by implementing new and convoluted postal procedures … before election officials begin sending out mail-in ballots," Davenport said Aug. 28, according to NJ Spotlight News.

The U.S. Supreme Court then cleared the administration to move forward with portions of an executive order targeting mail voting, lifting an injunction in an unsigned 6-3 ruling, WHYY reported. The court's majority concluded the states sued prematurely because the order directs federal agencies to pursue policies but does not itself require states to change their procedures.

What mail-in voters should know

Statewide, about 900,000 ballots are expected to be mailed between Sept. 19 and Oct. 27, according to NJ Spotlight News.

In 2024, more than 840,000 New Jerseyans cast mail-in ballots, about 19.5% of voters that year, according to the attorney general's office.

The Clerk's Office recommended that voters who keep their mail ballots return them at least seven days before Nov. 3 or use a secure drop box. Drop box locations will appear on sample ballots and are listed at ucnj.org/boe/ballot-drop-box-locations/.

Residents can call the Board of Elections at (908) 527-4996 or visit unioncountyvotes.com. The Sept. 22 Common Council meeting is open to the public.