Several hundred protesters gathered for a peaceful but energetic “No Kings: Vote Early” rally on Saturday, October 17 in South Orange, NJ.
The event was organized by local grassroots group SOMA Action to galvanize voter turnout for the midterm election, with the rally followed by canvassing for candidates.
In a press release, SOMA Action leaders reminded voters that they can vote early in-person starting Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1. Hours are 10am-8pm (10am-6pm on Sunday). Locations are listed here. Election day is November 3, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; those polling locations are different and can be found here. Locally, those voting by mail can return ballots to the dropbox under the gazebo at the South Orange Train Station or at the Hilton Library Branch on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood. Voters can check that their ballot was received via the Secretary of State’s website.
Photos by Max Fraidstern, Columbia High School Class of 2027:
The following press release is from SOMA Action:
SOMA Action thanks all those who joined for No Kings: Vote Early this past Saturday October 17th. A crowd numbering 350 lined South Orange Ave from holding banners proclaiming “Long Live the Vote” and creative signs of all shapes and sizes.
“We know Donald Trump is scared of losing this election,” said Allison Posner, co-president of SOMA Action. “He has told us over and over that he’s going to try everything he can think of to cause chaos and try to create a pretext for overturning the results. That’s why it’s so important to get out and vote as soon as you can. We need overwhelming turnout and margins of victory that are too big to challenge. Early voting is key to that because if there are problems, voters have extra time to get the problem fixed.”
Early In Person voting will be available Saturday, October 24th through Sunday, Nov 1st from 10am-8pm (10am-6pm on Sunday). Look here for early voting locations, which are NOT the same as election day polling locations. The closest sites to SOMA are the Berson Education Center at the Turtleback Zoo and the Irvington Municipal Building in Irvington. Voters may vote at any early voting site in Essex County.
Voters who have a mail ballot should return it to the dropbox under the gazebo at the South Orange Train Station or at the Hilton Library Branch on Springfield Ave in Maplewood. Voters can check that their ballot was received via the Secretary of State’s website.
Election Day voting will take place on Tuesday, November 3 from 6 am – 8 pm. Your Election Day voting location can be looked up on the Secretary of State’s website.
“If there’s one thing voters should know,” added co-president Erika Malinoski, “it’s that you always have a right to cast a provisional ballot. Essex County’s election officials are committed to making sure all eligible voters can vote and the process goes smoothly, but if there are any issues, don’t leave without casting a provisional ballot. Voters can also contact the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683 if there are any problems.”
Additional information about candidates, competitive races, and ways to vote can be found in the SOMA Action voter guide at somaaction.org/voter-guide.
