Atlantic Co. Man Never Got Ballot, He Signed An Affidavit To Vote

LONGPORT, NJ — Brian J Bohling supported New Jersey's vote-by-mail option. He understands why the state wants to reduce in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic. But the Longport resident faced an issue: he never received his mail-in ballot.

Bohling's journey to vote included driving to and waiting at the Atlantic County Clerk's Office and signing an affidavit. Three others waited in line for the same reason, and he's still not sure if officials will count his vote on Election Day.

State officials set the rules for this election, making it primarily vote-by-mail because of COVID-19. But voters must report any issues to their county clerk's office, which ultimately certifies results.

The Atlantic County Clerk's Office and the executive director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission did not return comment to Patch.

"Even if you go on any of the election board websites, they don’t state clearly what to do if you never got your ballot in the mail," Bohling told Patch. "They don’t want to communicate that."

Bohling has voted for 42 years in several states. Before this unconventional election, he's been able to vote in-person on Election Day and get his vote counted.

The Longport resident registered to vote Oct. 6. The clerk's office sent him a registration card within three days to confirm he could vote. But the ballot didn't come. Bohling's wife received hers in a couple weeks, but his never came.

Even though Bohling received confirmation for his registration, he checked his voter status online. It said he completed registration last Tuesday — not earlier in the month as his letter indicated.

"My first red flag was that my information that they put on their website was inaccurate," Bohling said.

He contacted the county clerk's office. One person said they mailed his ballot Oct. 7, and another representative said his ballot was pending. Bohling didn't know his next step until Deputy Clerk Michael A. Sommers emailed him. Sommers told Bohling he could visit the clerk's office and sign an affidavit to get a new ballot.

Bohling knew he could have showed up to a polling place Tuesday and cast a provisional ballot. But officials in New Jersey can't begin counting those ballots until Nov. 10.

New Jersey counties have until Nov. 20 to certify election results. But Bohling knows some election results will be announced, for all intents and purposes, on Election Night.

"The circus already left by November 10th," he said. "Someone can say your vote technically counted. Give me a break. They already announced the winners."

Related article: Atlantic County Voter Guide: Who's On The Ballot, How To Vote

Driving to and from the clerk's office in Mays Landing took Bohling an hour. He waited another half hour in the office before he could sign the affidavit and get another ballot.

It's not immediately clear how many people in Atlantic County didn't receive their mail-in ballots. Patch will update with any response from the clerk's office. But while Bohling was there, three other people in line said they faced the same issue.

Then Bohling completed the affidavit with his name, age, address and contact information, certifying that he never received his mail-in ballot so he could receive a new one.

Now it's out of Bohling's hands. But he and New Jersey voters can track their ballots here. Although Bohling was able to take action, he's concerned about others who don't have the opportunity.

"Let’s say they’re elderly, and they can’t get in a car like me," he said. "They don’t have the ability on the 3rd to go vote. Their vote has been suppressed in this election."

This story was produced with the help of tips reported through ProPublica's Electionland project. If you experience or witness a problem voting, please let us know.

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