Governor Phil Murphy today will formally announce his executive order on the state’s vote-by-mail procedure in the coming general election.

Some highlights:

New online voter regs up by 9/4.

Election overwhelmingly VBM.

All registered voters will receive VBM ballot mailed by early October.

No sample ballots.

Can return by mail or can use drop box or hand to poll workers on Election day.

“We won’t stand for USPS being turned into a political circus so we are taking action,” according to Murphy administration source.

Each town must open at least one in-person voting site and counties must ensure at least 50% of sites are open.

Voting at these places will be provisional.

All public schools will be closed on Election Day to permit schools to be voting sites.

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/14/2020

At the same time that “Meet the Road” New Jersey held a Town Hall with Senator Cory Booker, the Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for U.S. Senate participated in the New Jersey action of the Abolish ICE Coalition, calling for all people held in the ICE detention centers in New York and New Jersey to be released immediately.

The detention centers are hot beds for the spread of COVID-19 because conditions in the detention centers are places where the virus can spread quickly, mostly due to the lack of ability to physically distance. One recent study predicts that, by mid-August, as many as 90% of people in ICE detention could contract the virus. Green Party senate candidate Madelyn Hoffman called for the shutdown of the ICE facilities and the release of those incarcerated there, because attempting to cross the border should not be a death sentence. She called on Senator Cory Booker to join her call — and for Meet the Road NJ to give her campaign equal time in an upcoming Town Hall to get to know the U.S. Senate candidates for 2020.

A DCCC poll shared exclusively with Hotline (Aug. 4-6; 400 LVs; +/-4.9%) showed health advocate Amy Kennedy (D) leading Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R), 51%-46%.

The poll also showed Trump leading Biden, 47%-46%. (Hotline reporting) A poll from the Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC conducted by GSG (Aug. 1-5; 400 RVs; +/-4.9%) showed a tighter race, with Kennedy leading Van Drew, 46%-45%. (Politico)

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/13/2020

Governor Phil Murphy will make a decision on the format of the New Jersey general election as early as this week.

It’s going to be mostly vote-by-mail (VBM), or a variation on the July 7th election.

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/12/2020

Wednesday’s finally the day, evidently, when Governor Phil Murphy puts a finer point on his schools’ reopening plan. Department of Education Interim Commissioner Kevin Dehmer is on the governor’s COVID-19 briefing schedule.

Most sources expect the governor to kayo in-person learning this year. Certainly that’s what the powerful NJEA wants him to do.

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/11/2020

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/10/2020