Towns Have Contingency Plans for Voting

With Election Day rapidly approaching and many residents still without power, local officials are gearing up with contingency plans to make sure polling stations are open.

In Verona, Mayor Frank Sapienza said he took part in a conference call on the subject with President Barrack Obama, Gov. Chris Christie and state officials Thursday.

“One of the topics that came up was the election next week,” said Sapienza. “The election is still on and there is going to be a questionnaire from the lieutenant governor's office to go out to the county board of elections to fill out if a polling location is without power.”

The voting machines will be delivered on Monday morning and there are backup polling locations for three areas of concern in Verona.

On Thursday night Verona Office of Emergency Management Director Jeff Hayes said three polling locations, Forest Avenue, H.B. Whitehorne and F.N. Brown schools, were still without power.

In case the power remains out for Election Day, voters normally casting their ballots at the H.B. Whitehorne polling location will be moved to town hall. Voters who normally vote at F.N. Brown School will instead vote at Verona High School. Forest Avenue voters will move to the Verona Community Center. All three backup locations currently have power.

The township will use the township website, NIXLE and posted signs to direct residents to the correct polling locations.

In Cedar Grove most of the town has had their electricity back on and the township is ready to handle elections.

“At the moment (polling locations) are going to be where they usually are because most of the town is up and running,” said Cedar Grove Municipal Clerk Kathleen Stutz. “We are being cautiously optimistic.”

To see Cedar Grove polling locations, see the pdf in the photo section.