It’s a predicament that arises for some registered New Jersey voters every year: They didn’t cast their ballot because a last-minute scheduling problem prevented them from getting to the polls, so they just didn’t vote. For those registered voters who recently realized they won’t be near their usual voting booth on Tuesday — or may not want to go out Tuesday — your votes in this gubernatorial election still can be counted through the state’s new vote-by-mail system.
Registered voters have until 3 p.m. Monday to apply for a mail-in ballot. The catch is, those ballots have to find their way to their county’s board of elections office by the time polls close Tuesday at 8 p.m.
‘‘It’s being well received, said Susan Evans, a spokeswoman for the Department of State, which oversees the state Division of Elections. ‘‘It’s an indication of people’s desire for participation and the acknowledgment that people’s schedules are very busy these days. Now there is a very convenient way to vote.’’
Evans said voters must go to their county clerk’s office for the ballot by 3 p.m. Monday and must return the completed ballot to the county’s board of elections by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Addresses for those offices can be found at NJElections.org.
In trying accommodate more voters, state elections officials eliminated absentee ballots and replaced them this year with the vote-by-mail system. Unlike absentee ballots, voters need not give a reason for requesting a mail-in ballot and they can submit their ballots up until the eve of the election. Absentee ballots were restricted to people with disabilities, people who would be out of town on Election Day, or people whose job hours would keep them away from the polls.
Tuesday was the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot by mail, but voters can still go to their county clerk’s office to apply for one in person, Evans said. As of that deadline, the county clerks offices had issued more than 170,000 vote-by-mail ballots, she said.
Because of the interest generated in these ballots, several county clerks have extended office hours.
Ocean County Clerk Carl Block said he’s kept his office in Toms River open until 8 p.m. every day this week and will open tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to accommodate what he anticipates will continue to be a high demand for mail-in ballots.
As of Monday night, he said, his office issued 15,240 mail-in ballots for next Tuesday’s election and anticipates that figure will climb to 16,000 by next Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline. That would be nearly twice the amount of mail-in ballots his office issued four years ago in the last gubernatorial election, when 8,893 county residents voted by mail, he said.
Registered voters who wish to vote by mail can apply in person for a ballot at their respective county clerk’s offices until 3 p.m. on Monday. The applicants must present proper identification, such as a drivers license, to prove their identity and must sign their name as it appears in the voter registry book. Star Ledger
Al Pi Halacha, One that is a shomer torah umitvos …may NOT vote in this years election.
Yudel: Care to explain why? Are you a posek?
I think its very important to vote as it can help in the future if people who run see Lakewood people vote that means there vote counts. It will help a lot. Even if you vote for the guy who has no chance but if they see in Trenton Lakewood people vote. Lakewood will be able to get help.
Voting for someone who is actively fighting against the Torah (and even the secular standards of 30 years ago)may be ‘Al toshes yodch im rosha etc.’
Not Yudel: Corzine is not fighting actively against the Torah. The issue of the ss marriage in not an issue in this campaign. As you may know, Trenton had recently authorized civil unions for ss couples which makes it highly unlikely that the issue of ss marriage will come up very soon. Corzine indeed said R’ Blech that if the ss marriage law comes before him he wil not veto it. But I think his position is defensible. In the US we have a separation between church and state, and the government has no right to impose the majority’s morality on any group of people. I know it’s painful, but it’s the truth.
Unfortunately, thanks to the civil union law, we already live in a place where zchorim kossvim ksuba to each other. Hope the Moshiach comes soon!
Every Posek that has all of the facts & is no “nogeiahs”, etc will pasken that way.
If you want to benefit the ציבור and lower your taxes, etc in Lakewood, don’t vote this year (That’s abc!) If you are from the יחידים that use …..for their own personal gains, then….. and you interest is not the ציבור at large….
old time observer: your suggestion that some of our poskim go against the Torah because of the negious is highly offensive. It looks like all you time in Lakewood didn’t do you much good.
Moshe Rabainu was a “Nogeiah” as far as his brother Ahron or other members of his family is concerned.
The Torah has it’s guidelines & rules.
Review some of Reb chaim’s shmulevitz’s Shmusen.
old time: Are you saying that Moshe Rabeinu had paskened a certain way because of his negious?… First you slandered the Vaad, now it looks like you are slandering Moshe Rabeinu. I think you are pushing it a little too much, even for my taste.
If the dayonim or poskim have any negious al pi halocha they must recuse themselves. If the Vaad poskim have paskened a certain way, we must presume they didn’t have any negious. If you know otherwise, please tell us.
Wake up and smell the coffee. Perhaps the extra hour of sleep will do some good. For the klal & the individual, DON”T VOTE in this years election, not local nor state.
For your information one or possibly more of the yeshivah poskim has paskened to people that asked , that it is ossur to vote for a candidate who supports anti Torah legislation such as Toievah. I would assume such a psak would be binding on the Vaad as they are for the most part controlled by the Bmg. Who exactly is the Vaad poisek that you refer to that has explicitly been matir to vote for a politician who will institute kesubos for zechorim ,which was goirem the mabul ? Please let us know the name.
Anon 10:46: I am sorry to inform you that NJ does recognize ss civil unions and that ksubos zchorim is the law of the land(NJ).
FYI, Corzine is not pushing for ss marriage. Though he did say that if Trenton passes ss marriage he will sign it.