(Published: Wednesday, October 08, 2008)

From Press staff reports

Due to the “huge influx” of new voter registrations, both the Atlantic City and Mays Landing offices of the Atlantic County Superintendent of Elections will be open Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition, both offices will also be open until 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, the final day of registration for next month’s presidential election.

“Yesterday, we had 1,872 registrations,” Superintendent of Elections John Mooney said Tuesday, “and today, we’re in the neighborhood of 600. … So as a public service, we’re keeping both offices open above and beyond what’s mandated by the state.”

The Atlantic City elections office is located at 1333 Atlantic Ave., on the fourth floor. The Mays Landing office is located at 5920 Main St.

The Atlantic County Board of Elections can be reached at 609-343-2246 or by visiting:

www.aclink.org/elections/mainpages/Notice_to_Voters.asp

Voter-registration applications can be obtained from the N.J. Division of Elections, from county clerk and elections offices, and from city clerk offices. Forms are also available at Motor Vehicle Commission agencies.

County election officials must receive the applications by the Oct. 14 deadline. For information, call 609 292-3760 or visit the Web site: www.njelections.org

(Source: Press of Atlantic City.)

The voter would then print the ballot, vote it, scan it and return it via email to the Board of Elections to be counted. Voters would, however, have to sign a form to waive their right to privacy to vote via email. The absentee ballot application can be obtained anywhere in the world at www.fvap.gov and then could be emailed to the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office at evote_request@aclink.org to be processed.

The New Jersey State Legislature recently provided for emailed ballots in response to a growing demand for the service, particularly in the military. The legislation continues to provide for voting by fax as well, although it is believed that fax machines are not as available as computers and scanners in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Fax requests will be accepted at 609-909-0147.

“This is a great opportunity to extend the services of our office as well as a convenient voting mechanism to to men and women in the armed services everywhere as well as American citizens living abroad,” McGettigan said. “We are particularly gratified to be able to provide this service during this historic Presidential election so that all Atlantic County voters can participate no matter where they happen to be in the world.”

McGettigan added that the system will be versatile. Military and Overseas voters could, for example request a ballot via email or fax and ask that a hard copy ballot be mailed to them to preserve their privacy, which would still expeditie the processing.