Message to Students Regarding Election Day

November 2, 2012

Dear Rutgers Students:

In the aftermath of the storm, many Rutgers students and families are still without electrical power, and some have sustained damage to their homes. I hope that you and your family are coping as well as possible under these difficult circumstances. Although Rutgers, too, sustained significant storm damage this week, all our campuses are now nearly back to normal operation and will be ready for Monday.

I am sending this message as a reminder that Tuesday, November 6, is Election Day. Polls in New Jersey will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Even though Sandy may have created real obstacles, I encourage all of you who are able to do so to exercise your right to vote. 

If you are registered at your campus address, you can visit here for information about Election Day, including a list of campus polling locations, how to determine your correct polling location, and what to bring to the polls. 

If you are registered at your home address, you may wish to make use of New Jersey’s “vote-by-mail” system by applying for a ballot at your home County Clerk’s office this weekend (or by 3 p.m. Monday) and submitting it in person to your county’s Board of Elections. The board must receive your ballot by the close of the polls on Election Day. A list of county clerks and boards of elections is at www.state.nj.us/state/elections/voting-information-local-officials.html. You should call or click on their website links to find out about weekend hours. Alternatively, you can make plans to go home to vote on Election Day. Because of this week’s storm, there may be disruptions to polling places in some towns in our state, so please check about changes to your polling location before you go.

Please remember that, in addition to the Presidential and Congressional races, New Jersey voters will also decide whether to provide much-needed funding for our state’s colleges and universities by voting on a $750 million bond issue on this year’s ballot.

In spite of the challenges imposed by the recent storm, I encourage each of you to exercise your power as a citizen by voting.

Robert L. Barchi
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey