Dear Middlesex County Board of Elections,

We write to express our concern in response to the decision to close the following six voting locations for the upcoming April 20 election in New Brunswick, New Jersey:

• New Brunswick Housing Authority Office – 7 Van Dyke Avenue
• Labor Education Center – 50 Labor Center Way
• Roosevelt School – 83 Livingston Ave.
• Hungarian Heritage Center – 300 Somerset St.
• Providence Square – 217 Somerset St.
• New Brunswick Senior Center – 81 Huntington St.

School board elections are significant because of the huge impact school board members have on the direction of local schools. Government officials and advocacy groups should be working to increase turnout for these elections. Instead, the decision to reduce the number of polling locations from 14 to 8 will decrease voters’ access to the ballot on Election Day. For many people, particularly voters of color, elderly voters and voters with disabilities, these types of closures place a significant burden on them
accessing the ballot. These six polling locations scheduled to be closed serve many voters in the New Brunswick area. Furthermore, the New Brunswick Housing Authority office, that is also scheduled to be closed, has 10 affordable housing communities located within a one-mile radius. We strongly urge you to reconsider this decision and plan for all 14 locations to be open on Election Day.

We understand the difficult situation you are in as election officials this year. COVID-19 has been devastating for our state, and the vast responsibility of ensuring that our democracy thrives is on your shoulders. As we prepare for an increase of in-person voting during the 2021 election cycle, it is imperative that we make decisions that best protect voters and poll workers. With the Governor’s seat and every seat in the state legislature up for election this year, there should be no plans to close polling places during any election this year. The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, and, with this in mind, we believe that closing polling locations would not be in the best interest to the health and safety of voters and poll workers. In comparison to the 2020 elections, wherein all registered voters were automatically sent vote-by-mail ballots, the upcoming 2021 spring elections will be held mostly in person. In this regard, the county can expect a significant increase of voters utilizing polling locations. The consolidation of polling locations could lead to longer lines, limited social distancing and increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. Providing more polling locations would help the Board of Elections avoid potential health risks and expand New Brunswick voters’ access to the ballot.

We ask that you make the necessary plans to have all 14 polling places open for the April 20 election and all subsequent elections. We welcome the opportunity to discuss this further and to provide any assistance in ensuring there are an adequate number of polling locations.

Respectfully,

All of Us or None, South Jersey

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ)
Central Jersey Progressive Democrats
Disability Rights New Jersey
Faith In New Jersey
Fifth and Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association
League of Women Voters of the Greater New Brunswick Area
League of Women Voters of New Jersey
New Brunswick Today
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
New Jersey LCV
New Jersey Working Families
NJ Citizen Action
RU Progressive