Democracy Now: NY, NJ Widen Voting Options in Post-Sandy Recovery
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 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.
Aware and Outraged 