Residents Say Hurricane Not a Factor in How They Vote

For many residents still dealing with the after-effects of Hurricane Sandy, they are not sure whether it will have a huge effect on the outcome of the elections—but one resident said she would like to hear more from her local officials.

Sunset Lake resident Maria Patullo, voting Tuesday at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School and still dealing with no power in her home, said she believes that the hurricane could trump the elections for those who were massively effected by it.

"For those affected by the hurricane, it's big news," she said.

And although she said she would not change her vote just because of this kind of event, she does believe that there has to be some consideration of it.

"I was told the township was not working on the weekend," she said, adding that she heard it was because of overtime costs. "When I don't have power, it makes me mad."

"It might affect how you vote," she added. "This is a catastrophe, and maybe some other things have to be cut. I know budgets are set a year in advance, but we have to get out of the semantics."

Jeannette and Milton Flax—who don't have power in their home yet, and voted at the middle school because their normal location, Crim Primary, does not have power—said they understand coming in to vote could be an inconvenience for some, considering where they might be staying while they wait for the power to be restored.

But, they said, it depends on the value people put on the elections themselves.

"I would think it would be an inconvenience," Jeannette Flax said. "But if it's an inconvenience to vote, it depends on how important it is."

Flax said she was concerned she wouldn't get to vote at all because of the lack of power.

"Or I thought I would have to do a mail-in," she said. "I don't know how to do that."

And Flax said she doesn't think people are coming out to vote simply because it's a presidential election.

"It's about how important it is," she said.

Both Flax and her husband also said they believe people will vote in a particular way regardless of the response to the hurricane.

"It didn't influence us at all," Milton Flax said.

And James Mahoney said he doesn't believe there will be any affects either.

"I don't think the hurricane affects how people vote," he said. "I also don't think the hurricane made it more important to vote."

Polls will be open until 8 p.m.