With Election Day 2012 upon us, many who were affected by Hurricane Sandy may be wondering where they can go to vote. Due to ongoing power outages and hurricane-related damage, several voting locations have changed. Those who were hit by the storm shouldn't be denied the right to vote as well, so there are several polling locations and options for these voters.
On Monday, New York Governor Cuomo signed as unprecedented order, allowing those who were displaced by Hurricane Sandy to vote at any poll site within New York City. Typicaly, voters must cast their vote in the place that they are registered, but many are not able to do that after Hurricane Sandy as they were forced to move due to the damage in certain disaster areas. Voters who are registered in one of these disaster areas can vote anywhere in the state by signing an affidavit.
"We want everyone to vote. Just because you're displaced doesn't mean you should be disenfranchised," Governor Cuomo said.
Those votes will be counted after officials confirm a voter's eligibility. Those voting in areas that they are not registered in will not be able to cast a ballot for local elections.
For those who are still located in a disaster area, it is possible that your polling place has changed. Some poll sites had to be changed due to damage to schools and other public buildings in these distaster areas. For a complete list of these polling site changes due to Hurricane Sandy, Click Here. To verify a polling location, text "NYCVOTES" to 877-877 or call 866-VOTE-NYC or 1-855-NYS-SANDY (1-855-697-7263) for more information about changes.
You may also try out the Board of Elections Poll Site Locator to find a polling site near you.
Polling in New York begins at 6a.m. and continues until 9 p.m.
Displaced voters in New Jersey can vote submit a paper ballot, or for the first time, they can vote by e-mail or fax.
"This has been an extraordinary storm that has created unthinkable destruction across our state and we know many people have questions about how and where to cast their vote in Tuesday's election. To help alleviate pressure on polling places, we encourage voters to either use electronic voting or the extended hours at county offices to cast their vote," said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. "Despite the widespread damage Hurricane Sandy has caused, New Jersey is committed to working through the enormous obstacles before us to hold an open and transparent election befitting our state and the resiliency of its citizens."
According to a release:
"To vote electronically, displaced voters may submit a mail-in ballot application either by e-mail or fax to their county clerk. Once an application is approved, the clerk will electronically send a ballot to the voter by either fax or e-mail in accordance to the voter's preference. Voters must return their electronic ballot - by fax or email - no later than November 6, 2012, at 8 p.m.
Voters can download a mail-in ballot application for their county by visiting https://nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information-vote-by-mail.html. A list of county clerk websites, phone numbers and fax numbers are available by visitinghttps://nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information-local-officials.html."
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