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Election 2012 voting FAQ
FAQ: Questions about election/voting procedures
- Q: I didn’t get my Voter ID card after registering to vote. Can I still vote?
A: Yes. If you’re a registered voter who appears on the voter rolls (see below for how to check if you’re registered), you can vote. If you submitted a registration form but don’t appear on the voter’s roster at your polling place, you have two options:- Submit a provisional ballot which can be obtained at any polling place (voter station) or your County Clerk or Board of Elections Office.
- New Jersey residents also have the option of petitioning your county’s court for the right to cast a regular voting ballot. Do this by visiting the Board of Election or County Clerk in your county.
The deadline for submitting a request for an electronic ballot ended at 5pm Tuesday, Nov 6, 2012. No new procedure was established to make this process possible for New Jersey voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy; the procedure already existed for military personnel and United States residents living abroad. Permission to vote by electronic means expires at the end of the 2012 general election. These are the instructions that were provided.
You will need to fax or email a Vote By Mail application to your County Clerk by 5pm on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov 6 2012. They will send you back a form you must sign waiving your right to having your vote be anonymous (because entering your vote will see it), and a ballot. After filling out the ballot, you return it by fax or email as indicated on the ballot.
- Q: How does a provisional ballot work?
A: You can vote provisionally from any polling location or by visiting your county’s (see list) Board of Elections or County Clerks Offices – they’ll steer you to the right location. When the provisional ballot is reviewed, they Board of Elections should approve it based on what are a common entry errors (Street vs. Avenue, etc.). - Q: Why didn’t I get a sample ballot?
Sample ballots came out very late. Some people received them on Nov 5 and some people did not receive them at all. - Q: What do I need to bring with me to vote at the polls?
A: Here’s a list of what’s required in each state. In New Jersey, people who have already voted don’t need to bring any form of ID, but first time voters may be asked for identification.
Información en Español
Visite Ya Es Hora – ¡Ve y Vota! ó llamar al 888-839-3682 (888-VE-Y-VOTA)
Resources for Newark residents
Newark County Committeeperson Douglas Freeman called in to say, Newark’s South Ward Residents need food, baby food, diapers; warming and charging stations. Residents basically just want something that says, “We care. we’re not just leaving you here and you’re fending for yourselves with no one caring what’s happening to you. I was in the dark along with everyone and we had electrical wires hooked up between houses and all of that – if we could do that, I know the city can do something … Just show people that you care, that’s all.”
Report on voter woes in Bergen County NJ
Here are details of the report I sent in about voting issues here in Bergen County, NJ to Our Vote Live, set up by Craig Newmark (of Craig’s List) and other civic rights advocates to protect voter’s rights and make sure the conservatives don’t get away with suppressing people’s voting rights in this pivotal election. If you become aware of any voting issues, please make your own report.
Sandy recovery – get & give help
General government-based assistance
- Legal hotline for NJ residents needing legal assistance after #Sandy.
1-888-541-1900 or probono_public_service/ls_pb_hurricane_sandy_fema_new_jersey.authcheckdam.pdf - A special Federal Government website is set up to process Sandy requests http://www.disasterassistance.gov. It consolidates the application process across several Federal agencies, including FEMA and the Small Business Administration and reduces the number of forms applicants will need to fill out and you can check the progress of your applications online. You can also apply at
- 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or fema.gov
- via smartphone at m.fema.gov
- Speech disability or hearing loss
TTY 1-800-462-7585
711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) 1-800-621-3362
Financial assistance and grants
Look into applying for a Lion Clubs International direct grant or see what your local club has to offer. FEMA assistance and how to apply5. Operation Hope
Financial dignity nonprofit Operation HOPE offers financial triage, financial recovery and free consultation services for individuals and small business owners impacted by Hurricane Sandy. More information here
6. Disaster SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Information (aka Foodstamps)
SNAP Handbook Guide
b. D-SNAP Toolkit: SNAP Guidance Toolkit.pdf
Health issues
The New Jersey Department of Health has public health experts available through the state’s 2-1-1 system to answer questions about food and water safety and mold removal. To reach public health experts, call 211 or 1-866-234-0964, or visit them online at nj211.org. Experts are available 8am-8pm weekdays and 10am-5pm weekends. More than 800 New Jersey residents have called the Department of Health hotline seeking help with food and drinking water safety, mold removal and prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning. The 211 number is open for general enquiries 24/7.
Funny phrases
Things people say can be really funny – because sometimes we garble our intended message completely. Here are some turns of phrase I’ve found amusing.
- “I don’t have to stay at home and cowtail to some ninny”
This lady meant to say, kowtow (bow down) – instead of cowtail
Special New Jersey voting options for 2012 election
This will be updated as new information becomes available. Please also see Election 2012 Voter FAQ
Nov 2, 2012 New Jersey State has changed some of the voting rules to help people cast their votes in this election. They include: you can vote early at county clerk offices; you can vote by email or fax; a messenger can bring any number of ballots into the Board of Election. See the State Directive below or visit the League of Women Voters website – they’ve got the best information I’ve seen.
New Jersey County Clerks
A more extensive list containing both County Clerk and Board of Election contact information, including fax numbers, is available here.
| Atlantic County Clerk 5901 Main Street CN 2005 Mays Landing, NJ 08330 609-641-7867 |
Bergen County Clerk One Bergen County Plaza Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-336-7000 |
Burlington County Clerk 49 Rancocas Road Mount Holly, NJ 08060 609-265-5122 |
| Camden County Clerk 2015 The Mall at Voorhees Town Center, 2nd Floor Voorhees, NJ 08043 856-566-2920 |
Cape May County Clerk 7 North Main Street DN 109 Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-3096 609-465-1010 |
Cumberland County Clerk Court House Building 60 West Broad Street Bridgeton, NJ 08302 856-453-4860 |
| Essex County Clerk Hall of Records 465 Martin Luther King Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102 973-621-4920 |
Gloucester County Clerk Court House P.O. Box 129 Woodbury, NJ 08096 856-853-3237 |
Hudson County Clerk 257 Cornelison Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07302 201-369-3470 |
| Hunterdon County Clerk Hall of Records 71 Main Street Flemington, NJ 08822 908-788-1221 |
Mercer County Clerk 100 Court House Annex 209 South Broad Street, P.O. Box 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650 609-989-6477 |
Middlesex County Clerk P.O. Box 1110 New Brunswick, NJ08903-1110 732-745-3827 |
| Monmouth County Clerk 33 Mechanic Street Freehold, NJ 07728 732-431-7324 |
Morris County Clerk Administration & Records Building P.O. Box 315 Morristown, NJ 07963-0315 973-285-6125 |
Ocean County Clerk P.O. Box 2191 Toms River, NJ 08754 732-929-2110 |
| Passaic County Clerk 401 Grand Street, Room 130 Paterson, NJ 07505 973-225-3632 |
Salem County Clerk P.O. Box 18 92 Market Street Salem, NJ 08079 856-935-7510 |
Somerset County Clerk P.O. Box 3000 20 Grove Street Somerville, NJ 08876 908-231-7006 |
| Sussex County Clerk Sussex County Clerk’s Office 83 Spring Street, Suite 304 Newton, NJ 07860 973-579-0900 |
Union County Clerk 2 Broad Street Elizabeth, NJ 07207 908-527-4787 |
Warren County Clerk 413 Second Street Belvidere, NJ 07823 908-475-6211 |
Peggy McIntosh’s extraordinary essay on what it means to possess White Privilege
I hope you enjoy this extraordinary essay by gifted writer, thinker and egalitarian, Peggy McIntosh as much as I do. For your downloading pleasure, here’s a condensed list of 50 ways white privilege is experienced in America (thanks for the link Helen Tinsley!).
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
by Peggy McIntosh
Through work to bring materials from women’s studies into the rest of the curriculum, I have often noticed men’s unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. They may say they will work to women’s status, in the society, the university, or the curriculum, but they can’t or won’t support the idea of lessening men’s. Denials that amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages that men gain from women’s disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened, or ended.
Most inspiring message on Why Vote!
I am honored by the opportunity to display this message on my website. Rev. Dr. William Barber II shares the historical time line of Black and ethnic minority acquisition of the rights to vote, to have equality in housing and economic opportunities and reminds us, “If there was ever a time to vote that time is NOW.”
Fact checks
Check the facts
Issues
ProCon.org: The leading source for pros & cons of controversial issues
Legends, myths, misleading emails
Pinocchio Tracker
Washington Post Fact Checker
FactCheck.org (Annenberg Public Policy Center)
Politifact’s Truth-O-Meter (Pulitzer Prize winner)
2012 Presidential Campaign
Presidential Campaign Ads
Self learning beats a “degrading” educational system
TED features a MOOC project this week
Shimon Schocken and Noam Nisan developed a curriculum for their students to build a computer, piece by piece. When they put the course online — giving away the tools, simulators, chip specifications and other building blocks — they were surprised that thousands jumped at the opportunity to learn, working independently as well as organizing their own classes in the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). A call to forget about grades and tap into the self-motivation to learn.
Resources to overcome depression and mental illness
If you need a place to spend social time, a volunteer opportunity, psychotherapy, housing or vocational training, here are some resources for people challenged by depression or another form of mental illness. Please feel free to post resources you know of which aren’t listed in a comment and I’ll add them to the list after checking them out.
For US By US Self Help Center 40 North Van Brunt Street, 2nd Floor, Englewood, NJ 07631 201-541-1221 Hours: Monday-Friday 1-5pm What it is: This program is a place where people dealing with a mental health issue of any type can spend time to socialize or spend quiet time in a place away from home. Activities take place that you can join if you like. The center is pretty much run by peers with professional oversight in the background. Who can participate: You may self-qualify to participate. Admission requirements: Drop-ins welcome – just show up. Feel free to ask a friend to bring you by. Work/volunteer opportunities:- Volunteering: can help out immediately and after a few weeks, can sign up to be on the scheduled volunteer rotation.
- Paid positions: after volunteering for a while, people can qualify for a paid position when one opens up.
- Supportive in-house workplace environment available on site. Pay commensurate with an individuals’ productivity level
- Friendship House programs include
Computer training, culinary classes, maintenance work and clerical training. Social groups, therapy groups, beauty classes, diet classes, diabetes management, groups for young people diagnosed with Asperbergers or on autism spectrum
Admission requirements: By referral. Call to speak with a program counsellor who can help you understand the steps needed to be referred into one of the organization’s programs.
64 Passaic Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-489-9454 bergenvolunteers.org info@bergenvolunteers.org
What it is: A service that matches volunteers with non-profit organizations in need of help.
Work/volunteer opportunities:
Expanded student demographic data now on ELC website
Over the years, Education Law Center (ELC) has become the “go-to” source where parents, policymakers and advocates can find high quality, in-depth data and other useable information on New Jersey’s public schools. This organization is committed to continuing to provide timely and relevant data in a highly functional and interactive format and is pleased to announce that visitors can now find an expanded range of student data on their website: racial/ethnic composition, poverty rates, limited English proficiency rates, and special education rates of NJ public school students, whether enrolled in district schools or charter schools.
The news is skewed – dig deeper for the truth
A West Indian friend writes to ask,
This country is becoming more like a 3rd world country. Why aren’t people demanding jobs instead of talking about racism. Sick and tired of hearing about racism. Everything is racism. Find some other excuse rather than racism. If anything is done wrong it’s blame it on racism. People need to stop blaming and stop looking for hand me out. It seems as though some people like to keep stoking the word racism and using the blame game too much. What about Solyndra all the billions that cost tax payers money. That money could have been used to help students pay for their school loans. The unnecessary spending while unemployment is still above 8%.