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November 6, 2012

NY, NJ Widen Voting Options in Post-Sandy Recovery 
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Widespread concerns have been raised over how residents in areas hit
hard by Superstorm Sandy will be able to vote today as some areas remain
without power. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order
allowing residents to cast a provisional ballot or “affidavit” in
any polling place in the state, an ability New Jersey has also extended.
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey has announced displaced New Jersey
residents can vote through email and fax, but state officials now say
those voters will also need to submit a paper ballot. In one coastal
county in New Jersey, officials reportedly hired a converted camper to
deliver mail-in ballots to storm shelters.

Barbara Netchert, Hudson County Clerk: "Because of the devastation
across the state, all of the county clerks throughout the state of New
Jersey have extended hours so that people can actually physically, walk
into our office and vote by mail. Which is, they call it vote by mail
but it's really like a paper ballot. So that they fill out their
application, they get a ballot today, they vote that ballot and they can
actually walk to the Hudson County Board of Elections office which is
right down the hall."

New York City, meanwhile, plans to run shuttle buses today to bring
coastal residents to the polls.

 

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