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For Immediate Release:  
For Further Information Contact:
October 3, 2005

Office of The Attorney General
- Peter C. Harvey, Attorney General
Division of Elections
- Ramón de la Cruz, Director

 

Lee Moore
609-292-4791

 

Attorney General Harvey Announces Voter Registration Deadline for General Election; Reminds that Any Registered New Jerseyan Can Now Vote by Absentee Ballot

>> Forms: Including Voter Registration Form & Absentee Ballot Application

TRENTON – Attorney General Peter C. Harvey and Division of Elections Director Ramon de la Cruz issued a reminder today to all New Jerseyans that the deadline to register to vote in the 2005 General Election is next Tuesday, October 11.

Attorney General Harvey explained that, to be eligible to vote on Election Day, New Jersey residents must be United States citizens, must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day (November 8, 2005), and must have resided in their respective counties in New Jersey for at least 30 days prior to the General Election. Those who are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction under State or federal law are ineligible to vote, as are those who are currently serving a term of parole or probation relative to a felony conviction. However, those convicted of a felony who have completed their jail sentences and/or terms of probation or parole can have their voting rights reinstated simply by re-registering to vote.

“For the past year-and-a-half, we have been engaged in a vigorous campaign to increase voter registration and voter turnout across New Jersey through our ‘Be Powerful, Be Heard’ initiatives, including a variety of community outreach efforts, two successful, statewide ‘Hip Hop Summit’ voter awareness events, and an ongoing campaign of celebrity Public Service Announcements on television and radio,” said Harvey, who as Attorney General is New Jersey’s Chief Election Official. “We are encouraged by the results we have seen to date,” Harvey continued. “Thousands of new voters have been registered, and the 2004 General Election turnout was the highest in New Jersey in the past 12 years . However, our work is far from done. We will continue working right up until the deadline so that we reach as many New Jerseyans as possible – particularly young people -- with the message that every vote is a voice, and that every voice matters.”

According to Director de la Cruz, residents may register to vote by mail or in person. If a resident chooses to register by mail, his or her mailing envelope must by postmarked by October 11, 2005.

Registration forms can be obtained from a municipal clerk, county Commissioner of Registration or from the Division of Elections. They can also be downloaded from the Division of Elections Web site at www.NJElections.org .

Registration forms can also be obtained from Motor Vehicle Commission offices, WIC offices, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Division of Developmental Disabilities, the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, the Commission on the Blind and Visually Impaired and the offices of the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) Lifeline Special Benefits Program.

Forms are also available from municipal clerks, Armed Forces recruitment offices, the New Jersey Division of Taxation, workers' compensation offices, the Division of Employment Services, state psychiatric hospitals, the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, National Guard recruitment offices, public libraries and New Jersey Transit offices.

Any Eligible N.J. Voter Can Now Vote by Absentee Ballot

Attorney General Harvey and Director de la Cruz also reminded that it is now the law in New Jersey that any eligible voter who chooses to vote by absentee ballot may do so. (Previously, voters who sought to vote by absentee ballot were required to meet certain specific absentee criteria). De la Cruz explained that registered voters who want to obtain an absentee ballot must do so by 3 p.m. on Monday, November 7. The deadline for mail-in applications is November 1, 2005.

A listing of the 2005 candidates and statewide public questions can be found by visiting the Division of Elections Web site at www.NJElections.org . In addition, the Web site features an on-line feedback form for disabled voters who encounter accessibility problems at polling places, contact information for local election officials in the 21 counties, and other useful election-related information.

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