In the state of New Jersey, the law prescribes that in order to register to vote in a given election, one must complete such a registration 21 days prior to the election.
As such, to vote in the Presidential Election of 2020, if you’re not yet registered, you must do so by Oct. 13, 2020.
To register, you must:
• Be 17 at the time of registration — and turn 18 by Election Day.
• Be a citizen of the United States.
• Be a resident of the county in which you live for at least 30 days.
Lastly, the State says you may not register to vote if: “You are serving a sentence of incarceration as a result of a conviction of an indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States.”
We bring you this information because it is imperative that all residents who will be 18 or older on Election Day be registered to vote. Do so online or in person at your county clerk’s office.
And while it has been a 133-year + tradition of this newspaper not to endorse any candidates, we do, every four years, endorse the notion that everyone should be registered and everyone, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, should take the time to vote if you haven’t done so already by paper ballot.
It doesn’t take much to realize how much is at stake in this election. Whether it’s the Coronavirus Pandemic, the economy, unemployment, the environment, the way our nation is seen globally or a myriad of other reasons, there is no reason to sit this one out. So if you’re not registered, get it done by Oct. 13. If you are registered, vote. Nothing else will suffice. Nothing.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.