U.S. Senate election changes things
Are you a registered voter? If so, you’ll have several opportunities to vote this summer and fall.
The Hopewell Valley League of Women Voters provides the following timetable of deadlines for voters:
— Special Primary Election for U.S Senate, Aug. 13:
June 19 — Deadline to file a change of party affiliation form;
July 23 — Deadline to register to vote in this primary election;
Aug. 6 — Deadline to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot for this primary;
Aug. 12 —Deadline to apply in person at the Mercer County clerk’s office for a mail-in ballot, 3 p.m.
— Special General Election for U.S. Senate, Oct. 16:
Sept. 25 — Deadline to register to vote for the special general election;
Oct. 9 — Deadline to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot for this special general election;
Oct. 15 — Deadline to apply in person at the Mercer County clerk’s office for a mail-in ballot, 3:p.m..
— Regular General Election and School Board Election, Nov. 5:
Oct. 15 — Deadline to register to vote;
Oct. 29 — Deadline to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot for the general election;
Nov. 4 — Deadline to apply in person at the Mercer County clerk’s office for a mail-in ballot, 3 p.m.
To register to vote in New Jersey, you must be a US citizen, at least 18 by the date of the election, and a resident of the county for at least 30 days. You are not eligible to register to vote if you are serving a sentence, on parole or probation, as a result of a conviction of an indictable offense under state or federal law.
In New Jersey, voters must vote the party of their registration in primaries. Registered unaffiliated voters – those who have not declared a party affiliation on their registration form or during a previous primary, may declare a party affiliation on primary election day at the polls and vote in that party’s primary.
Registration applications can be downloaded at www.njelections.org or picked up at libraries, Motor Vehicle agencies, and municipal government offices.
In the November election Hopewell Valley voters will vote for the NJ governor, a state senator and two members of the NJ General Assembly for the 15th Legislative District, two members of the Mercer County Board of Freeholders, and local municipal officials.
For the first time this year, local voters also will vote for members of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education: two seats in Hopewell Township, and one seat in Hopewell Borough. The Pennington Borough seat is not up for election in 2013.
The Hopewell Valley League of Women Voters celebrates its 51st anniversary this year. For information on the Hopewell Valley League, call Joann Held at 737-0867.

