New Jersey residents whose communities were hard-hit by this week's storm were given options to vote in Tuesday's election. They were able to drop their county clerk's office all weekend to vote in-person and they texted a special number to find out if and where their usual polling location were moved.
Gov. Chris Christie said Friday that his administration is making sure residents have opportunities to vote, even if their polling station is without power or has been washed away.
“We need to make sure we give everybody a transparent, accessible, open voting process on Tuesday,” Christie said after greeting FEMA staffers at a newly opened storm center in Ocean County. “We have a national election, and we have to make sure every New Jerseyan who is qualified to register and vote has the opportunity to vote, and the system that the lieutenant governor put together, I believe, will make it easy for you to vote.”
Christie said utility crews are working overtime to restore power to voting locations. But some residents will find National Guard trucks at their polling station, which will serve as makeshift voting booths. Residents will vote there on paper ballots - “old school,” as Christie put it.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who oversees elections, urged storm-ravaged residents to visit their county clerk's office between now and Election Day to cast their ballot in person. The clerks' offices will be staffed during business hours Saturday and Sunday accommodate storm victims.
Guadagno says she expects few polling places to have to be moved. While she didn't have the complete list handy Friday, she said 10 voting locations in Monmouth County would be without power on Election Day.
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She said residents can text WHERE to 877877 or log onto www.elections.nj.gov to find out where they can vote on Tuesday.
The New Jersey Department of State also issued a directive on Saturday allowing registered voters in New jersey displaced by Sandy to vote electronically. From the State Department:
To vote electronically, displaced voters may submit a mail-in ballot application either by e-mail or fax to their county clerk. Once an application is approved, the clerk will electronically send a ballot to the voter by either fax or e-mail in accordance to the voter’s preference. Voters must return their electronic ballot – by fax or email – no later than November 6, 2012, at 8 p.m.
Residents affected by Sandy in Ocean County who didn't get the chance to vote this weekend can still vote at the following location:
Building: Ocean County Election Board
Address: 101 Hooper Ave Tom's River, NJ
Times: Monday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You must be registered in order to vote.
As for all other residents in the region, check the following links:
Temporar Polling Places:
- In Atlantic City, voters who cast ballots at Price Memorial Church will vote at Uptown Complex Shool on 323 Madison Ave
- In Margate, voters who cast ballots at the Municipal Building will now vote at Union Avenue School on 9001 Winchester Ave
- In Ventnor, voters who cast ballots at the Heights Civic Center and at the VFW Hall will vote at the Ventnor Community/Library building on 6500 Atlantic Avenue
