New Jersey Statutes § 19:63-22 Opening of mail-in ballot

a. On the day of each election, or as provided under subsection b. of this section, each county board of elections shall open in the presence of the commissioner of registration, or the designee thereof, the inner envelopes that contain the mail-in ballots with the votes cast for the election. The inner envelopes containing the ballots that the board or the Superior Court has rejected shall not be so opened, but shall be retained as provided for by this act. The board shall then proceed to canvass the votes cast on the mail-in ballots, but no such ballot shall be counted in any primary election for the general election if the ballot of the political party marked for voting thereon differs from the designation of the political party in the primary election of which such ballot is intended to be voted as marked on the envelope by the county board of elections.

b. A county board of elections may begin opening the inner envelopes for each mail-in ballot and canvassing each mail-in ballot from the inner envelope no earlier than five days prior to the day of the election. The Secretary of State shall establish guidelines concerning the early canvassing process. If a county board of elections begins opening the inner envelopes and canvassing the mail-in ballots from the inner envelopes prior to the day of the election, the county board shall implement the measures necessary to ensure the security and secrecy of the mail-in ballots. The contents of the mail-in ballots and the results of the ballot canvassing shall remain confidential and shall be disclosed only in accordance with the provisions of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, regulations and guidelines concerning the disclosure of election results, and in no circumstances disclosed prior to the close of polls on the day of the election. In addition to the guidelines concerning the early canvassing process, the Secretary of State shall promulgate regulations to ensure that any county board of elections that begins opening the inner envelopes and canvassing the mail-in ballots from the inner envelopes prior to the closing of the polls on election day shall do so in a manner that prevents any person, including any person who is authorized to receive and canvass completed mail-in ballots, from obtaining knowledge of the unofficial results of ballots cast for any candidate for public office or any public question submitted to the voters until after the closing of the polls on election day. No tally or tabulation of results shall occur prior to the opening of polls on election day. As provided under R.S. 19:34-13 , any person who is authorized to receive and canvass completed mail-in-ballots who knowingly discloses to the public the contents of a mail-in ballot prior to the time designated by law for the closing of the polls for each election shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

c. Immediately after the canvass is completed, the respective county boards of election shall certify the result of the canvass to the county clerk or the municipal or district clerk or other appropriate officer, as the case may be, showing the result of the canvass by municipality and ward. The votes thus canvassed shall be counted in determining the result of the election.