iradiophilly | News - New Jersey Voting Mostly By Mail; Wolf Asks For Mail-in Extension; Villanova Student Gathering Video

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New Jersey Voting Mostly By Mail; Wolf Asks For Mail-in Extension; Villanova Student Gathering Video

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 08/14/20 7:28 pm | updated: 08/14/20 7:31 pm

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced on Friday, 8/14, that New Jersey will conduct the November 3rd general election mostly through the mail. All registered voters will receive a prepaid return-postage ballot in the mail. Ballots can be returned by mail as long as they are postmarked November 3 and are received by November 10. You can also drop them off at a secure drop box around the state or a polling place on November 3. Voters will still have the option of voting in-person at a polling place on Election Day. That will be considered a provisional ballot by county election officials until they can determine that you did not also vote by mail. There will be at least one polling place open in each municipality. Each county will have 50% of polling places open. If you plan of voting in person, be sure to check your assigned site as it may have changed. Murphy said, "We are going to have more secure dropboxes, make sure that there is that physical in-voting capacity," Murphy said. "It doesn't matter what party you're in, everybody gets a ballot."

NEW: The November 3rd Election will be primarily vote-by-mail.

All active registered New Jersey voters will automatically receive a prepaid return-postage vote-by-mail ballot.

No one should have to choose between their right to vote and their health. pic.twitter.com/P7KuzAx8G8
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) August 14, 2020

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is asking the state Supreme Court to extend the deadline for mail-in ballots after warnings about delays from the United States Postal Service. Wolf wants all ballots postmarked by 11/3 to still be counted if they are received up to three days after the election. The USPS warned Pennsylvania election officials that there is 'significant risk' that it would not be able to deliver all of the voters' ballots by the November 3rd 8 p.m. deadline given the state's current timelines. In Pennsylvania, voters who wish to vote by mail must individually apply for a ballot. Voters can apply for a ballot up to one week before the election (October 27 5 p.m.). General counsel of the U.S. Postal Service, Thomas Marshall, says that those deadlines are 'incongruous' with the postal service's delivery standards. Marshall recommends that a voter mail their ballot back a week before the deadline. If a voter waits to apply for a ballot until the deadline, there's little chance they'll receive it in time to then mail it back by Nov. 3. They could drop it off at a secure drop box or polling place at that point. In-person voting is still available on Election Day.

Election officials should probably move the deadline to apply for ballot applications back at least another week so voters have a chance to receive and then send those mail-in ballots without worrying about postal delays. If you are planning on voting by mail, do it sooner than later. You can sign up right now. PA Mail-in Ballot Application. There is still plenty of time.

A large group of Villanova University freshman were seen breaking safety and social distancing guidelines just days after arriving on campus for orientation. Cell phone video shows about 100 students at an informal gathering on South Campus outside of the residence halls. Some were wearing masks, while others weren't. They were standing close together. The gathering was not an official university event.

University President, Father Peter Donohue, sent a message to all students. "IT'S UP TO YOU. Your actions significantly impact every single person on this campus. If you follow the guidelines we have set up - wearing a mask at all times, washing your hands frequently, social distancing, and staying home when you are sick - we can make this semester on campus work. And what do I mean by make this work? I mean: Keep you healthy and safe; Keep you on campus, and keep campus open. Let me be perfectly clear, if we don't do these things, YOU WILL BE SENT HOME and more importantly, our community members' heath will be at risk.â€ (see full statement below)

See videos of Villanova University freshman:

Most are not wearing masks and definitely not social distancing. When I ask for who took the video Iâ€™ve received mixed responses - several say a University employee who wants to remain anonymous pic.twitter.com/4z1cbMvmeq
— Isabella Sanchez CastaÃ±eda (@Is_SanchezC) August 13, 2020