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Politics & Government

New Polling Places for Some as Sandy Shuts Down Sites

There's still an election today. Check here for changes in where you can vote.

Believe it or not, there’s an election today, and it’s not just any election. It’s a big one.

Despite the turmoil of the past week, voters will still head to the polls and select a new president, as well as new members of the Township Council in Cranbury and Borough Council in Hightstown, and East Windsor Regional School District Board.

For now, most polling places will remain the same, but because of Hurricane Sandy, there are a few changes.

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All Melvin H. Kreps Middle School polling places for districts 7, 13, and 14 have been moved to the East Windsor Township Municipal Building, located at 16 Lanning Boulevard.

All other East Windsor districts will remain at their polling locations:

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  • Districts 1 and 5: The Elks Club
  • District 2: East Windsor Police Athletic League building
  • District 3: Meadow Lakes
  • District 4: East Windsor Municipal Building
  • District 6: American Legion Post 148
  • District 8: East Windsor Volunteer Rescue Squad
  • District 9: St. James Village Community Room
  • Districts 10 and 11: Ethel McKnight School
  • District 12, 15, and 16: Perry L. Drew School

For questions about voting or polling place, residents are encouraged to call the East Windsor Clerk’s office at 443-4000, ext. 240 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Hightstown Borough voting location has been moved to the First Presbyterian Church on North Main Street.

All Cranbury voters should report to Town Hall, 23-A North Main Street to vote. Voters in District 1 should report to the Boy Scout Room and voters in Districts 2 and 3 should report to the Senior Room, both located on the lower level of Town Hall.

All polling locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In addition, the New Jersey Department of State issued a directive on Saturday ordering county elections officials to permit New Jersey registered voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy to vote electronically.

The directive also is intended to assist displaced first responders, whose emergency recovery efforts away from home would otherwise make voting a challenge, according to a Saturday afternoon press release.

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 either by fax or email no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Voters can download a mail-in ballot application for their county by visiting http://nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information-vote-by-mail.html. A list of county clerk websites, phone numbers and fax numbers are available by visiting http://nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information-local-officials.html.

Displaced voters and first responders also can vote by provisional ballot at a polling place in a county other than the voter’s county of registration. The deadline for county clerks to receive mail-in ballots has been extended to Nov. 19 for any ballot postmarked on or before Nov. 5, 2012. Mail-in ballots post marked later than Nov. 5 will not be accepted.

County elections officials have also been directed to print a sufficient number of provisional and emergency ballots to accommodate voters.

Voters are encouraged to take advantage of extended office hours at county elections offices to cast their vote early and in-person. Registered voters can obtain and cast their ballot in-person at their county elections office up until 3 p.m. on Tuesday. County election offices are to remain open, at a minimum, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the weekend, until Nov. 5. 

Voters who have a mail-in ballot and choose to deliver their ballot to the county elections office in person must present their completed ballot to their county elections office no later than the close of polls on Tuesday.

Information is also available by calling 1-877-NJVOTER.

The Mercer County Clerk's Office will have walk-in voting at two locations: the Old Courthouse, 209 S. Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Trenton and the County Administration Building, 640 S. Broad Street, Room B-8, Trenton.

The hours of operation are as follows:

  • Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
  • Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the following Mercer County officials:

  • County Clerk's Office - 609-989-6998
  • Superintendent of Elections - 609-989-6750
  • Board of Elections - 609-989-6522

Middlesex County, early voting is available at the Middlesex County Clerk's Office in the County Administration Building, 75 Bayard St., New Brunswick. The hours of operation are as follows:

  • Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
  • Monday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the following Middlesex County officials:

  • County Clerk - 732-745-3827
  • Commissioner of Registration - 732-745-3471
  • Board of Elections - 732-745-3471

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