NJ-11: State has no plan if there's a snowstorm during voting in February

In the face of a foreseeable snow emergency during the February 2026 special congressional primary, the state acknowledges it has no clear plan, no defined protocol, and no published backup strategy to keep the election on track in a winter blizzard just as voters in the 11th district are set to head to the polls for six days of early voting commencing on January 29 and a high-stakes special primary on February 5.

“While weather and other emergencies that could cause polling locations to close are always a possibility, decisions regarding closing individual voting places due to snow would be made on a case by case basis based on the conditions on the ground, in coordination with the Boards of Elections and the state Division of Elections,” a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General’s office told the New Jersey Globe. “Any extension of voting would be a matter for the courts to decide.?

Voting is underway in the race for Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s seat; vote-by-mail ballots were mailed on December 22.

The 11th district has parts of three different counties; Essex, Morris, and Passaic have separate boards of elections and are in different judicial vicinages. Weather conditions in Nutley and Jefferson can be entirely different; in New Jersey, it’s even more likely that two judges will come up with inconsistent rulings. Other obstacles include pollworker shortages during bad weather and polling location closures beyond the control of election officials.




https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/state-has-no-plan-if-theres-a-snowstorm-during-nj-11-voting-in-february/