More Than 2,000 Mail Ballots Already Returned in Atlantic County as Election Season Ramps Up

County Clerk Joe Giralo says speeding up election-night results is a top technology priority as early voting approaches

MAYS LANDING, N.J. — Election Day may still be more than a month away, but voting is already underway in Atlantic County.

More than 2,000 vote-by-mail ballots had already been returned as of the weekend, Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo said during an appearance Monday on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on News Talk 1400 and 92.3 WOND.

And the next major deadline is approaching quickly.

New Jersey residents have until Oct. 13 to register for the Nov. 3 general election, while nine days of in-person early voting begin Oct. 24.

“Mail-in voting has begun,” Giralo said. “And we're seeing a return rate probably — I didn't get the numbers so far today — but we were over 2,000 returned as of the weekend.”

Early Voting Begins Oct. 24

Atlantic County voters will have three primary ways to cast their ballots: vote by mail, early in-person voting or traditional Election Day voting.

Early voting runs from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Voting centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Atlantic County will operate seven early-voting centers in Atlantic City, Buena Vista Township, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Hammonton and Northfield.

During the early-voting period, registered Atlantic County voters can use any of the seven locations regardless of where they live in the county.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The deadline to register for the general election is Oct. 13.

Sample ballots are scheduled to be mailed before early voting begins and will include each voter's Election Day polling location.

“So you'll have them prior to early voting,” Giralo said.

Giralo Wants Faster Election-Night Results

Giralo also discussed something many voters notice every Election Day: how long it can take for unofficial results to appear.

He said improving the speed of Atlantic County's election-night reporting is one of his biggest technological priorities.

“Getting election results on election night is very frustrating to me because the clerk always seems to get the blame when I'm the end user,” Giralo said.

According to Giralo, New Jersey's system still requires election data from polling locations to be brought to central reading locations rather than flowing automatically into a central results database.

“Other states, as we well know, read from the poll books right there into a database,” Giralo said. “In New Jersey, we collect those sticks, and they are read at central reading locations throughout the county.”

Giralo said the county is working with state election officials and election-equipment vendor ES&S to examine ways of improving the process.

“We are going to be working with the state elections commission, along with ES&S, our vendor, to make this much smoother and be able to get results done,” Giralo said.

He later identified faster election results as his top technology priority.

“If there's anything that I want to see and will work day and night on, is, one, election results coming out much faster,” Giralo said. “That's number one.”

Clerk Says His Office Is Only One Part of Election System

Giralo also stressed that Atlantic County election administration is divided among three offices: the County Clerk's Office, Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections.

That division can sometimes create public confusion over which agency is responsible for different parts of an election.

“There's three divisions to Atlantic County elections,” Giralo said. “A lot of counties have two divisions and the clerk has more responsibility. That is not the case in Atlantic County.”

“We have a Board of Elections and we have a Superintendent of Elections. And we have a clerk's office.”

Among other responsibilities, the County Clerk prepares ballots and handles vote-by-mail ballot issuance, while voter registration is handled through the Superintendent of Elections.

Giralo said final certification also depends upon work performed by the Board of Elections and Board of Canvassers.

Changes Could Extend Beyond Elections

Giralo said the technology review isn't limited to election-night results.

The Clerk's Office maintains an enormous collection of deeds, mortgages and other public documents, and Giralo said he is considering replacing the office's existing records-management provider when the current contract expires in approximately a year and a half.

“Right now we use Catalyst Systems as our recording,” Giralo said. “I believe that there are other better recording companies out there for our data.”

Giralo said the existing system has been used for approximately 20 years.

“They were a leader 20 years ago,” he said. “They're not a leader in technology right now.”

Giralo said he has been studying systems used by other counties, including Camden and Monmouth, before making any decision.

“There are some newer companies that you can do a lot more with the data,” Giralo said. “And that's where I'm thinking we need to go.”

His goal, he said, is to make searching deeds and other public records faster and more user-friendly.

“Changing the recording company so that we can do a lot more with the data,” Giralo said, is his second major technology priority.

Possible Second Satellite Office

Another idea under consideration is a second satellite County Clerk's Office serving western Atlantic County.

The county already operates a satellite location in Atlantic City, which Giralo said has been expanded into a full-service location.

“You can go there and record your documents. You can do your register to vote,” Giralo said. “You can do anything that you can do pretty much in Mays Landing, you can do there.”

Giralo said officials have looked at whether another location farther west would make sense.

“We have looked at, and there's a possibility of down the road, an office in the western end of the county,” Giralo said.

But he emphasized that no decision has been made and said another office would need enough public use to justify its cost.

“It has to be that it would be used, Scott, and not someone just sitting there idle all day,” he said.

Clerk Says Office Has Eliminated Major Records Backlog

Giralo, who is seeking another five-year term as county clerk, also discussed his record since taking office in January 2022.

He said that on his first day in office, he learned document recording was approximately 18 months behind and that state officials were considering action against the office.

Giralo said it took nearly a year to eliminate the backlog through a combination of staff work, overtime and outside assistance.

“We were nearly a year, Scott, to get everything in order and be where it needed to be,” Giralo said. “It was not overnight.”

He said electronically submitted documents now generally have a five-day turnaround, while documents brought directly to the office can be stamped when received.

“We have turned that entire situation around,” Giralo said. “Very proud of that.”

Giralo also said the office reorganized its historical records, expanded public outreach and introduced a property-alert program intended to help homeowners detect potentially fraudulent filings involving their properties.

Those descriptions of the office's progress were Giralo's own assessment of his first term during an election-year interview.

About 40% Turnout Discussed

Giralo said officials are discussing turnout in the neighborhood of 40% for this year's election, although the final number will depend on voter participation over the coming weeks.

“This year and next year is what we call an off-year election,” Giralo said. “It's only a state election with no federal candidates on the ballot.”

Vote-by-mail participation will provide one of the earliest indications of voter engagement.

For voters who haven't registered, Oct. 13 is the immediate deadline.

Those who want a mail ballot sent to them have until Oct. 27 to apply by mail. Voters can also obtain a mail ballot in person from their county clerk until 3 p.m. Nov. 2.

Mail ballots may be returned through authorized ballot drop boxes or directly to the county Board of Elections by 8 p.m. Election Day. Ballots returned through the mail must comply with state postmark and receipt deadlines.

For voters who prefer a machine, early voting starts Oct. 24.

And for everyone else, polls open at 6 a.m. Nov. 3.

Joe Giralo spoke Monday on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on News Talk 1400 and 92.3 WOND. Off The Press airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.