From the Desk of...

Dear Colleagues:

Each October the Rutgers president writes to students, many of whom are new to voting, to remind them of the upcoming deadline for registration and to encourage them to vote in November. President Holloway followed that tradition with our students earlier this month, but because of the unusual nature of voting this year related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to share similar information with you.

As you likely know, registration deadlines differ from state to state. In our region, the last day to register in New York is Oct. 9; Delaware is Oct. 10; New Jersey is Oct. 13; and Pennsylvania is Oct. 19. Information about the registration and voting process in each state is available at ruvoting.rutgers.edu.

For residents of New Jersey, we want to share the following information made available through the Eagleton Institute of Politics.

Because of COVID-19 precautions, all active registered voters in New Jersey will receive a mail-in ballot at the address they cited on their voter registration forms. If you need to change your address, you will need to update your voter registration by Oct. 13 or you can request that a mail-in ballot be mailed to a different address where you are temporarily located.

If you prefer to vote using a mail-in ballot:

   Vote, sign, seal, and return your ballot via one of four options:

1. Deposit your ballot at a secure drop box location (for those registered in Middlesex County, a ballot drop box is located on the Rutgers–New Brunswick College Avenue Campus in The Yard);
2. Use the U.S. Postal Service, with the ballot postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3;
3. Bring your ballot to your county Board of Elections Office; or
4. Bring your ballot to a polling location on Election Day (check link above before you go as some polling locations will change due to COVID-19).

   Track and verify that your ballot was counted.

If you prefer to vote in person on Election Day:

You can go to a polling location between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, to vote in-person (check this link before you go as some polling locations will change due to COVID-19). However, since you would have already received a mail-in-ballot, you will need to vote via a provisional ballot. This is because election officials need to check to make sure that you are registered and that you did not complete and submit a mail-in-ballot. Voters with disabilities can vote by using a polling machine.

For more information about voting in New Jersey, visit the state’s 2020 New Jersey Voter Information Portal. Finally, we invite you to visit Rutgers’ Election 2020 webpage where we highlight our faculty experts’ insight and analysis on a diverse range of issues impacting the 2020 presidential election.

We hope this information is helpful as you exercise your right to vote in 2020 and support our students as they engage in this important act of democratic citizenship.

Sincerely,

Chris Molloy,
Chancellor, Rutgers–New Brunswick

Brian L. Strom,
Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As faculty and staff of Rutgers–New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, you play a pivotal role in helping our university advance its mission of teaching, research, and service to the state of New Jersey and beyond. That's why it is important for us as chancellors to keep you informed on the latest university news, including updates on high-priority projects, changes in key personnel and other useful information you should know as a member of our Rutgers community. In each issue, you’ll hear from one of us or another member of our leadership teams.

The start to this year's fall semester is unlike any before it, but we remain buoyed by the engagement, optimism and determination of our faculty, staff and students. We are finding innovative ways to teach, engage our community in a way that transcends distance and have witnessed a renewed commitment to support our students and patients—whatever their needs are and wherever they are located. We speak on behalf of a grateful Rutgers community when we say thank you for how quickly you've responded to these changes and stepped up to the challenges in front of us.

We also would like to recognize our tireless researchers and front-line health care workers who also are making unique contributions to the fight against COVID-19.

We are looking forward to sharing news and updates with you in future editions of The Current.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Molloy
Chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Brian L. Strom
Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences