A GUIDE TO BEST VOTING PRACTICES in 2026
best voting practices: the 2026 midterm elections
Despite the twin failures of the SAVE Act and Trump's USPS directive for mail-in ballots (see details, right), the Trump Administration is not likely to give up its efforts to rig the 2026 midterms — they are expected to simply change their shape and direction.
The most recent SCOTUS decision on Trump's voter "verification" efforts — allowing the Trump Administration and MAGA-run states to use an error-riddled federal database and target Democratic voters for exclusion — is proof positive that Trump's war on free and fair elections continues unabated.
Our job, however, remains the same. Everyone MUST get out to vote. No matter what.
BELOW is our quick guide to best overall voting practices for the 2026 midterms, with specific instructions depending on whether you vote in-person or by mail:
ALL VOTERS
- CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS REGULARLY. We recommend every week at this point in the cycle.
- If you were wrongfully removed from the voter rolls, call your local Board of Elections immediately to resolve the issue.
- Please continue to follow The Conversation (our email and online newsletter) and check this website frequently for updates on these and other election-related developments, as well as for further actions you may have to take.
IN-PERSON VOTERS
- Consider voting early! There will be early voting for this year's New Jersey general election from Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1, 2026. Polls will be open from 10 AM to 8 PM on Saturdays and weekdays and 10 AM to 6 PM on Sundays. Find your closest early voting county location here.
- If you are voting on Election Day, make sure you know your exact polling location and have a solid plan for the day — know when and how you are going to get to the polls well ahead of time. Polls open at 6 AM and close at 8 PM.
- Eligible American citizens who have registered to vote HAVE THE RIGHT TO CAST A BALLOT! If you encounter voting challenges at the polls or feel your right to vote has been compromised in any way, call the New Jersey Voter Hotline at 1-877-NJ-VOTER. Take this number with you when you vote and keep it handy at all times.
MAIL VOTERS
- Make sure you are actually signed up for VBMs — sometimes voters confuse the sample ballots for in-person voting with actual mail-in ballots. To access this information, you can create an account at New Jersey's My Voter Information portal.
- Mail ballots officially went out in New Jersey on Saturday, September 19. If you haven't received your ballot (or have issues with the ballot you received), make sure you call your county board of elections to get the problem fixed.
- Please plan to complete your VBM ballot as quickly as possible. Do not wait until the last minute to fill it out. You can get help with completing your ballot here.
- We recommend putting your completed mail-in ballot in an official county ballot drop box or hand-delivering your ballot to your county Board of Elections.
- No matter how you choose to return your VBM ballot, we suggest turning it in immediately after filling it out. But if you are using the U.S. postal service to deliver your ballot, we'd recommend completing and placing your VBM in your mailbox no later than two weeks before Election Day (Tuesday, October 20).
- Make sure you track your ballot at the My Voter Information portal after you turn it in.
- If all else fails, don't forget that you can always cast a provisional ballot at the polls on Tuesday, November 3. Polls are open from 6 AM until 8 PM.
WHERE WE STAND: october 2026
In August, the Senate adjourned for summer recess without passing the SAVE America Act, Trump's signature voter suppression legislation. This makes it impossible for the SAVE Act to pass in time to make a difference for November's midterms.
And on Monday, September 14, Trump's attempts to hand-pick the perfect MAGA midterm electorate through manipulation of the U.S. Postal Service were officially shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Things are now proceeding normally in New Jersey. Mail-in ballots officially dropped on Saturday, September 19.
But SCOTUS has given the Trump Administration the go-ahead to employ the use of a faulty federal database in cooperative efforts between the federal government and MAGA-controlled red states to "verify" voters — with potential implications for the midterm elections and control of Congress in 2027.
Trump has managed to inject a lot of noise and confusion into the system for voters in blue states and red states alike. We also do not expect Trump's voter suppression campaign to end with the most recent series of court decisions and shadow docket rulings.
As always, we will keep you posted. Please come back here frequently and stay tuned.