FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 18, 2008

County Clerk extends hours for absentee ballot applications
Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. is the deadline- Feb. 5 is primary day

FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County elections office at 300 Halls Mills Rd., Freehold Township, will be open additional hours the weekend before the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary to accommodate voters who prefer to vote by absentee ballot.

The hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 1, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 2. Regular office hours for the elections offi ce are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A Monmouth County voter may apply for an absentee ballot by completing a Civilian Absentee Ballot Application form. To vote in the Feb. 5 presidential primary by mail, the application form must be received by the County Clerk’s election offi ce by Jan. 29 – seven days prior to the election. To vote in person, the application must be presented at the Monmouth County Voter Registration Offi ce, 300 Halls Mills Rd., Freehold Township, by 3 p.m. on Feb. 4 – one day before the election.

Save some time by downloading a copy of the application form, fi lling it out and taking it with you when you apply. The form can be found on the County Clerk’s page of the Monmouth County Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com. Applications are also available in every town hall, but must be submitted to the county elections office. Contact the Monmouth County Clerks Election Offi ce at (732) 431-7790 for additional information.

“There is no reason for a registered voter to miss out on voting in the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary,” Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French said. “If you know who you want to vote for, and don’t want to take a chance on possible bad weather in February, you can submit an absentee ballot application and you will receive a ballot.”

French also reminds people that elections rules now allow voters to vote absentee for any reason. “In the past, absentee voting was restricted to individuals with disabilities, those who were out of town on Election Day or unable to vote because work hours kept them from the polls,” French said.

In addition, voters who are undeclared and wish to vote in the primary will have an opportunity to affiliate themselves with either the Democratic Party or Republican Party when they fill out their absentee ballots or on Election Day when they go to the polls.

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