October 16, 2013
Question of the Week: What are your feelings about the Special Senate campaign? Will you vote on Wednesday?
“I think it sad that the government is holding this very important federal election on a Wednesday three weeks before the statewide election. Obviously, he [Governor Christie] did not want to have a strong voter turnout for either election and that just hurts the public and our perception of government. And then we, the public, have to foot the bill, which I think is over $10 million for the special statewide election.” —Betsy Hoover, Princeton
“I’m planning to vote. I think the big question for everyone is why did we need to have a special election so close to the regular election? There was a special primary and now we have a special election. I think it has cost taxpayers something like $20 million for the two special elections. I just think it’s a waste of taxpayer money, and it’s also on a Wednesday, which is an odd day for an election. I know a lot of people think the timing will suppress voter turnout.”—Michael Dalton, Jersey City
“I plan on voting, but I think it was unnecessary to have a special election. We could have done it when the general election takes place. It’s an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer’s money. It’s just plain politics.”—Kathy McClellan, West Windsor
“I think it was unnecessarily rushed, and I was just as happy having it take place during the regular election. I do plan on voting on Wednesday, however. —Brian Breuel, Princeton
“I have a real problem with the special election. First of all, I think it is a complete misuse of public money that we taxpayers are going to have to pay to run this special election, over and above what it would have cost to run it on the normal election day. My second problem is that I think it’s a move by our governor to make life easier for himself. Should he run on election day, he would also be running at the same time as a very strong and very progressive Democratic candidate, Cory Booker. And so that would bring people to the polls who might well vote for Barbara Buono, who is a very strong candidate. By moving the date to three weeks earlier, Governor Christie has taken a whole bunch of people out of the election, who may not come November 5, but who may have voted against him. —John Heilner, Princeton