Polling Locations Change for Majority of Princeton Voters Because of Hurricane Sandy

Princeton voters will experience more changes in polling locations Tuesday than any other municipality in Mercer County.

Fourteen of the 22 voting districts for the consolidated Princeton have been assigned new locations for the elections because in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, power was not restored to those locations by the deadline last Friday.

Municipalities, officials, political organizations, politicians, and nonpartisan voting groups have worked to spread the work about the new locations over the last few days. Officials are asking that voters double check their locations just to be sure that they know where to vote.

In Princeton, the problem is compounded by the fact that as a result of consolidation, many people have been assigned new voting district numbers and some have been assigned to new polling locations as a result of the Princeton merger.

To ease the confusion, signs will be located at every old voting location informing voters of where tier new locations are, and volunteers will be at each location to help direct people who are unsure of where they are supposed to vote. Princeton University is hosting several of the shifted districts. Voters assigned to the school’s Jadwin Gym can park in Lot 21, just off Faculty Road.

District 1 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 2 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 3 John Witherspoon Middle School Gym – 217 Walnut Lane

District 4 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 5 Princeton High School Performing Arts Hallway, 151 Moore Street

District 6 Computer Science Building — 35 Olden Street, Princeton University

District 7 Carl C Icahn Laboratory – Washington Road

District 8 Computer Science Building — 35 Olden Street, Princeton University

District 9 John Witherspoon Middle School Gym – 217 Walnut Lane

District 10 Princeton United Methodist Church – Nassau Street

District 11 John Witherspoon Middle School Gym – 217 Walnut Lane

District 12 Princeton Engine Co. #1 – 13 Chestnut Street

District 13 Hook & Ladder Fire House – 25 North Harrison Street

District 14 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 15 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 16 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 17 Riverside School – 58 Riverside Drive West

District 18 Hook & Ladder Fire House – 25 North Harrison Street

District 19 Riverside School – 58 Riverside Drive West

District 20 Jadwin Gym – 800 Faculty Road, Princeton University

District 21 John Witherspoon Middle School Gym – 217 Walnut Lane

District 22 Princeton High School Performing Arts Hallway, 151 Moore Street

If you are unsure of your district number or polling location, visit the state’s voter database, which has been updated in recent days to account for the new polling locations. You can also check the location of your polling place by texting “WHERE” to 877877.

Polling places have also changed for some districts in East Windsor, Hightstown, Hopewell, and West Windsor.

In East Windsor, voters from districts  7, 13, and 14 will now vote at the East Windsor Municipal Building at16 Lanning Boulevard.

In Hightstown, voters from districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 will vote at the First Presbyterian Church at 318 North Main Street.

In Hopewell Township, District 1 has been moved to the Stony Brook Elementary School Gym at 20 Stephenson Road. District 4 has been moved to Timberlane Middle School at 51 South Timberlane Drive.

West Windsor voters in District 4 will vote at the Clarion Hotel Heritage Room at 3499 Route 1 South. Districts 9 and 16 have been moved to the youth hall at St. David the King Church, 1 New Village Road. District 12 and 13 have been moved to the Mercer Oaks West Golf Course Club House at 725 Village Road West.

Voters had until 4:30 today to submit their vote-by-mail ballots to the Mercer County Clerk’s office. Ballots sent through the mail will be accepted if they are postmarked by today and received by the county by Nov. 19.

There was some confusion about email and fax ballots. Those options are only for voters who have been displaced from a permanent residence, or emergency response workers. The electronic ballots must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday. Mercer County residents who want to vote electronically should call the Mercer County Clerk’s office at (609) 989-6759 or (609) 989-6494.

Voters can vote by provisional ballot at any polling location in the state, but may only cast a vote for presidential candidate and a state-wide ballot question, not local races.

Sample ballots for each Mercer County municipality can be viewed online. Although sample ballots were sent by mail last week, some residents still have not received them.

The polls will be open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.