To the Editor:

In spite of New Jersey’s late, June 7, primary, voters may still influence the selection of the Democratic nominee for president. Locally, Princeton Democrats and unaffiliated voters who declare themselves Democrat at the polls will be choosing the next two members of Princeton Council. A video of the League’s forum among the four candidates for Council is available at www.lwvprinceton.org and at www.princetontv.org. A Voters’ Guide for the contested Democratic primary for Mercer County Freeholder is also posted on the League’s website.

Voters are reminded that they are entitled to vote provisionally for a number of reasons: the poll book indicates they vote-by-mail; they moved within the county; their name is not in the poll book; or they did not show ID if required. During the November, 2015 election, League members who were poll watchers noticed that some boardworkers did not offer provisional ballots as required. The League sent a letter to Paula Sollami-Covello, Mercer County Clerk, and to the four members of the Mercer County Board of Elections alerting them to the problem. Ms. Sollami-Covello replied that she was disappointed but was not responsible for training and that she had forwarded our letter and her response to the Mercer County Board of Elections. The League has not heard from them. Since it is known that board workers who were trained before the November 2015 election have not been re-trained, the League is concerned that voters’ rights be honored. Voters who vote provisionally should expect to be given information about how to ascertain whether their vote was counted.

Chrystal Schivell

Voter Service Chair, 

League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area,

 Monroe Lane