NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - New Jersey elections officials gathered at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University to provide voters with some last minute Election Day information. Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells was joined by Division of Elections Director Robert Giles, Eagleton Institute of Politics Director Ruth B. Mandel and Rutgers students from the RU Voting Coalition.
The students presented Secretary Wells with a button reading, "RU Voting? I am!" as a symbol of their campus efforts.
"I am especially pleased to be joined by Rutgers students with the Eagleton Institute's Youth Political Participation Program R U Voting Coalition who have been working to encourage their fellow students to be informed and actively participate in the democratic process," said Secretary Wells. "It is my sincere hope that every registered voter will vote on November 3. Voting is not only our greatest constitutional right, it is our most important civic responsibility."
Secretary Wells announced that New Jersey has registered 5,224,880 voters for the general election. Of this number, 1,766,669 are registered Democrats; 1,061,899 are registered Republicans; 2,393679 choose unaffiliated as their party preference, and the remaining 2,633 registered under other parties.
Secretary Wells also noted that New Jersey's County Clerks have issued 179,142 Vote by Mail ballots as of Thursday, October 29. More than 100,770 of those ballots have been returned by voters to the County Boards of Election.
Under the new Vote by Mail law signed in June, registered voters may request a mail-in ballot for an upcoming election, and receive mail-in ballots automatically for additional future elections with one application, as an alternative to voting at a polling place on a given election day. Previously, the option to vote by mail required voters to request an absentee ballot for each election.
"There is still time to apply for and vote using a vote-by-mail ballot, however, you must complete the application and return the voted ballot in person because the deadline for mailed applications has passed," added Robert Giles, director of the Division of Elections. "Registered voters may apply for a vote-by-mail ballot in person with the County Clerk until 3:00 p.m. the day before the election, November 2. To be accepted, all vote-by-mail ballots must be returned to your County Board of Election by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3."
A voter can locate the address of their polling place on their sample ballot or by contacting their County Board of Election. The Board of Election in each county designates the polling place location for each of the county's registered voters. Telephone and address information for all 21 county boards in New Jersey are also available on the Division of Elections website, www.NJElections.org.
Registered voters can also locate the address of their polling place by visiting www.NJElections.org or by contacting the division at (609) 292-3760.
Polling places in New Jersey will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 3. The New Jersey Division of Elections recommends voters with flexible schedules visit polling places during off-peak hours between 10 am and 3 pm. Any voter in line by 8 pm will be given the opportunity to vote.
Election results will appear on the www.NJElections.org, as soon as they are received after the close of polling places statewide at 8 p.m.
Information on statewide election matters in New Jersey can be found at www.NJElections.org, or by calling 877-NJVOTER. To learn more about the diverse array of services and programs offered by the Department of State, visit www.state.nj.us/state.
RU Voting Mission Statement
Part of the Eagleton Institute's Youth Political Participation Program, RU Voting encourages Rutgers students to pay attention to politics, register to vote, and turn out on Election Day. This non-partisan effort is run in partnership with the Rutgers University Office of Student Affairs, college student governing associations, and various other student organizations. RU Voting's voter education and mobilization efforts include distributing useful voting information, building coalitions, and planning informative events.
For comments and questions, please contact RU Voting at carynm@eden.rutgers.edu.
