Countdown to midterms: 4 times more vote-by-mail ballots in NJ

[BumRushDaShow]

Countdown to midterms: 4 times more vote-by-mail ballots in NJ
David Madden
November 04, 2018 - 10:00 pm

GLASSBORO, NJ (KYW Newradio) -- If you want proof that there’s heightened interest in Tuesday’s midterm elections, you need look no further than New Jersey where the number of voters opting to exercise their franchise by mail is up, dramatically. Four years ago in the midterm general election, 143,000 New Jerseyans dropped their ballots in the mail. This time around, the number is 554,000 according to the Department of State, that’s an increase of just under 300 percent.

Ben Dworkin, Director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, credits at least some of that to a newly implemented state law. “Anybody who requested a vote by mail ballot two years ago automatically is signed up for vote by mail ballot this year,” Dworkin told KYW Newsradio.

But overall turnout Tuesday is still a very open question. ”Are we going to see the same number of people that we typically see vote in a midterm election or is the vote by mail effort going to actually show that we are going to increase the overall number of people?” he added.

Four years ago, the total number of registered voters in the state was pegged at 5.4 million. This midterm, it’s over 5.9 million.

https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/countdown-midterms-4-times-more-vote-mail-ballots-nj

For some reason I missed that Jersey had early voting and here in Philly, we are South Jersey's media market. I guess maybe it was due to the continual Krispy Creme drama which meant that this just didn't rise above the extreme noise level (I recall more coverage of medical marijuana there).

As much of a focus is being put on Menendez, there are a couple GOP House seats that have a good chance of flipping in NJ, so the Congressional races there should definitely be followed!

[Jersey Devil]

1. Early voting in NJ means nothing imo

Early absentee voting is new in NJ and has only been done a few years. People are just getting used to the idea that they can vote early by absentee with no reasons. Previously, you always needed a reason to vote absentee in NJ, like being out of town on business or sick, etc. IMO, increased numbers are solely due to the fact that people are just becoming aware that it is an option for them.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Thing is

I didn't even realize you guys had that in law (apparently something passed 2 years ago)!!!!

Here in PA, we have "for-cause" absentee balloting and perhaps what you have could be a means to transition to a "no reason" version in PA... Although our state legislature is majority GOP, so it is hard to even get the term "early voting" even uttered in Harrisburg.

One thing here in Philly though, our absentee ballot turn-in numbers are up quite a bit this year so a good sign for a "mid-term" election.

[Jersey Devil]

3. Enthusiasm could be a part of the NJ increase, but

I would hesitate to use it as a measure of Dem voting energy because it is so new.

It puzzles me why states that are controlled by Democrats often do not have advanced voting techniques like early voting. NY, for instance, has nothing at all for early voting except for cause absentee, yet in red NC, where I now live, there is in person early voting. Though Repubs, who control the state, has tried to limit it, it is still there are very popular. So why don't Dem states enact easy voting requirements now while they are in power and have the chance to do so? Complacency?

[BumRushDaShow]

4. It seems that the states that implemented it

had previously had county-wide voting, with a small number of large facilities that people had to travel to (in some cases, a significant distance away from their residence), which often resulted in long lines. So in many cases, it was in response to major complaints from their electorate (I remember way back when OH implemented early voting for that reason).

And as a "cost saving" measure for doing that, the "early voting" locations were often limited to maybe the county seat only or just a couple locations in a large county - but the voting period was extended out for to try to reduce the number of people on the official election day.

This is in contrast to what we have here in Philly where we literally have 1686 polling locations within the city (142 square mile area), where the average resident is no more than about 9 blocks from a polling station (mine is literally a block from where I live). But then that means having something like 3500 machines (generally 2 per division) plus poll workers, plus making sure the facilities can handle a good number of people and are handicap accessible (a more recent requirement due to the ADA), which is perhaps a "cost" that other states/locales don't want to incur.

[Jersey Devil]

5. Your explanation makes sense

When I used to live in NJ and had no early voting, our town was 1.1 square miles with 16,000 people and we had 6 polling places with very short or non-existent lines, even in Presidential years when we had almost 80% turnouts. Here in NC where we do have early voting there are many less polling places, so I assume long lines and the real need for early voting. I do think, however, that early voting in all areas would improve turnout overall.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. I agree!!!

I would definitely want to have early voting everywhere, if anything because the insistence on a specific Tuesday and during a specific time period is limiting to a number of people who work 12+ hour shifts and/or who might do quite a bit of ad-hoc travel where they may miss the chance to vote because they couldn't utilize absentee voting process due to suddenly having to go out of town (missing a deadline for requesting/returning an absentee ballot). Been there done that.

[TheBlackAdder]

7. In Republican Districts most of the mail-ins originate from Nursing Homes & Cemeteries :-D

[BumRushDaShow]

8. !!

[Kber]

9. This is not necessary an indication of enthusiasm

The new Gov signed a law that if you asked for an absentee ballot in the past, you were automatically sent one this year.

So lots of folks who may have needed one for a one-time event, but who usually vote in person, were sent ballots unsolicited.

Frankly i expect it to cause chaos at the polls Tuesday when people who expected to vote arentokd they can only vote provisionally.

But, here’s the important part, you can vote provisionally even if you were sent a ballot. My local Dem committee has challengers at all local polling stations to make sure people know their rights.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. The OP article says that it attributes "some of it" to the new law

but doesn't definitively say that this is only because of...

But what will be interesting to see if there is any higher turnout/voting this year vs last, when there was a gubernatorial race!