NJ allows earlier votes-by-mail
Monday, October 12th, 2009
By: Phil Gregory
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Tuesday is the deadline to register to vote in New Jersey's November 3rd election. Some people have already voted.
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This is the first election in the Garden State with a widespread vote-by-mail option that allows residents to send in a ballot without having to give a reason for not going to a polling place on election day. County clerks started mailing those ballots about a week ago and some voters have already made their selections and sent them back.
Ingrid Reed with the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University says that means those voters won't be waiting for any more specifics from the candidates in the final debates
Reed: You know not all voters are looking for information on how to vote. Some do make up their minds early. There will still by a large measure voters going to the polls rather than using the mail ballots..
Reed says studies in other states show having the mail-in option does not necessarily mean more people will vote.