Thursday, November 1, 2012

Efforts Being Made To Accommodate NJ Voters

The New Jersey Department of State, committed to holding a fair, open, and transparent election on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, today announced that the deadline for when county clerks may accept mail-in ballot applications has been extended to the close of business tomorrow, Friday, November 2, 2012.  This extension is being made to make voting more accessible for New Jerseyans impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

The Department of State has also announced several other measures to make voting easier:

·         County clerks and all election offices are to remain open, at a minimum, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm beginning November 2 until November 5, and are to take all reasonable measures to inform voters of the extended hours.

·         County boards of election are to determine no later than noon, Friday, November 2, which polling places are likely to be inaccessible on Election Day and identify alternative sites.  Where designated polling places have power, voting is to take place as planned.  County boards of election are to report to the State Division of Elections where polling places lack power and coordinate with the Division of elections regarding alternative polling places.

·         Authorized ballot messengers may serve as an authorized messenger for more than 10 persons residing at a State-supported shelter.  Authorized messengers serving as an authorized messenger for voters residing at a State-supported shelter need not be a resident of the county of the voter’s residence.

A copy of the full directive to county boards of election, county clerks and county superintendents of elections is available here.

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