Assembly considers absentee-voting ordinance to require ballots received by election day, add witness contact details

Chi Huang, Borough Clerk and elections administrator, presented proposed amendments to Title 5 on absentee voting at the June 25 assembly work session and answered assembly questions about operational impacts.

Huang said the ordinance would standardize current procedures and make specific changes requested by election staff: require printed names (rather than handwritten signatures) on voter-facing envelopes, include contact information for witnesses, and clarify the administration of absentee ballots transmitted electronically. Huang told the assembly staff currently print witness names on mail envelopes and provide contact fields on forms.

The most discussed change would alter the deadline for absentee ballots returned by mail. Under existing language, ballots must be postmarked by election day and may be received up to seven days after the election; staff presented a proposal to require that mailed ballots be received by election day. Huang said many states already require return by election day and that election staff recommended the change to reduce the post-election processing window.

Assemblymembers asked about practical impacts. Huang said ballot registers are logged and that the borough counts city ballots it processes but would need to adjust audit and canvass procedures if the borough ordinance requires receipt by election day. She said the clerk’s office retains register information for a limited period after verification and that some register-retention timelines cited during discussion differed between 3 days after verification and 30 days after certification; she offered to clarify record-retention practices.

Huang said if the assembly adopts the ordinance the clerk’s office would notify applicants and publish information on the borough website and local media. The assembly took no final vote; the item remained under review.