NJ residents displaced by storm can vote by email
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey will allow residents displaced by Superstorm Sandy to vote by email or fax.
Officials announced Saturday that registered voters can vote electronically. A resident must submit a mail-in ballot application by fax or email to the local county clerk.
When the request is received, a ballot will be emailed or faxed back. Ballots must be returned no later than 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno says the effort will help alleviate pressure on polling places Tuesday. New Jersey is using military trucks in place of damaged polling places.
Officials say electronic voting is also an option for emergency workers. The option is already open to New Jersey voters overseas and in the military.
Now, before everyone freaks out completely, the slightly confusing wording of the article makes it sound like the APPLICATION for an absentee ballot can be submitted via email/fax, and the BLANK ballot will be sent to the submitter via email/fax...but that the COMPLETED ballot still has to be delivered by mail or in person (presumably with a legal signature like any other absentee ballot).
However, a) that's not entirely clear and b) even if that's the case, this still has potential for major problems. Then again, not allowing this could cause even more problems, so perhaps it's the best of a bad situation?
If they truly are simply expanding the currently-existing expatriate/overseas military system (which makes sense) then it should work out fine, I suppose (or, conversely, it would expose major flaws in that system which may not have been noticeable until now due to overseas votes making up such a small percentage of the total anyway).
Update: Thanks to Adam B, here's the official announcement from the New Jersey Dept. of State:
Already Available to Military and Overseas Voters, State Opens Electronic Voting System to Make Voting More Accessible to Citizens Displaced by Hurricane Sandy and First Responders Assisting in Recovery Efforts
Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Department of State has issued a directive today to county elections officials to permit New Jersey registered voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy to vote electronically. This directive also is intended to assist displaced first responders, whose tireless recovery efforts away from home has made voting a challenge.
“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.”
Thoughts?