Voting In Point Pleasant Boro, Point Beach: When, Where To Vote

POINT PLEASANT — Election Day is here, and Point Pleasant Boro and Point Pleasant Beach voters have to make sure their ballot is counted in several competitive races on Tuesday.

Although the 2020 General Election was conducted primarily by mail and polling places have been reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still several options to make sure your vote is counted.

In Point Pleasant Boro and Point Pleasant Beach, that includes using a secure drop box, mailing your ballot back, hand-delivering it to the Ocean County Board of Elections, or hand-delivering your ballot to your polling place, or voting by provisional ballot at your polling location.

The Rundown

• Election date: Nov. 3 (Tuesday)
• Where can I drop off my ballot? Ocean County Ballot Drop-Box Locations 2020
• Mailing it? Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 (Tuesday) and received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 10
• Where can I vote in person? A limited number of in-person polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. ADA-compliant machines will be available for those with disabilities that prevent them from voting on paper ballots. All other voters will be given a provisional ballot. Find your polling location: Nov. 3 Election Polling Locations For Brick
• Track my mail-in ballot.

What And Who Are On The Ballot?

In Point Pleasant Boro, two Republicans – Pamela Snyder, the council president, and Councilman John Wisniewski – will run for two council seats. Three people have filed to run for two seats on the school board: Damian Lardieri, Joan A. Speroni and Cheryl Salway. Former board member Matt Jordan is running as a write-in candidate.

Read more: Point Pleasant Boro School Board Election Preview

In Point Pleasant Beach, two Republicans - Council President Thomas H. Migut and Councilwoman Caryn S. Byrnes – will oppose Democrats Ernest Geiger and Thomas Brennan for two council seats. One person has filed to run for one seat on the school board: Michael M. Ramos.

A limited number of polling places will be open on Tuesday, the same day that mail-in ballots must be postmarked in order to be counted.

Read more: NJ 2020 Election Guide: How To Vote, Who's On The Ballot

Here's a quick rundown of the choices that voters will be asked to make on a national, state and county level:

• Presidential race: Residents can either cast a write-in vote or choose, among the major parties, between Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, or Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. Also running are: Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Constitution Party); Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Green); Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (Libertarian); Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Party for Socialism and Liberation); Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (The Alliance Party) and Bill Hammons/Eric Bodenstab (Unity Party).
• U.S. Senate: One U.S. Senate seat will be contested: Incumbent Democrat Cory Booker will face several Republican, Green Party and independent challengers.
• U.S. House of Representatives: All 12 House seats in New Jersey are up for election, including the Fourth District, where Point Pleasant Boro and Point Pleasant Beach fall. The Fourth District race pits Republican Congressman Chris Smith against Democrat Stephanie Schmid (part of Point Pleasant Boro is in the Third Congressional District, where Democrat Andy Kim, the incumbent, will be challenged by Republican David Richter and two independents, Martin Weber of Barnegat and Robert Shapiro of Haddonfield).
• Ocean County: There is one four-year term on the Board of Freeholders up for election. Incumbent Republican Joseph Vicari is being challenged by Democrat Helen Dela Cruz and by Libertarian Party candidate Dan Valentine. The County Clerk's race features Republican Scott Colabella vs. Democrat Kathy M. Russell.
• Marijuana legalization/Ballot questions: Voters will decide whether to legalize the possession and use of marijuana. Voters will also decide whether to makes peacetime veterans eligible to receive the veterans' property tax deduction.

Since the change to this year's election was announced by Gov. Phil Murphy because of the coronavirus, there have been many questions about how the process will work.

Every the ballot sent through the mail had to be postmarked by Nov. 3 (Tuesday). It must be received by your county's election boards by 8 p.m. on Nov. 10.

"Every vote should be safe. Every vote should be secure. Every vote should be counted," Murphy said of the process.

For more coverage of the 2020 election in New Jersey, go here.