NJ Media Organizations Join Together in Unprecedented, State-Wide Initiative to Track Potential Voting Problems Caused By Superstorm Sandy
First-time collaboration led by Montclair State University’s NJ News Commons to track long voting lines, voter confusion, polling place changes, and unforeseen problems
Posted in: School of Communication and Media News
New 24-hour hotline to report voting issues: 732-903-VOTE.
November 5, 2012, Montclair, New Jersey – Beginning today, news organizations across New Jersey will collaborate in an unprecedented manner to monitor voting problems throughout the state and identify potential polling issues brought on by the damage of Superstorm Sandy.
The project is being led by Montclair State University’s NJ News Commons and includes numerous media partners across New Jersey including NJTV, New Jersey Public Radio, WHYY, WBGO, NJ Spotlight, NJ.com, Patch, NorthJersey.com, Baristanet, My Verona NJ, Elizabeth Inside Out, Glocally Newark, Hoboken Mile Square View, and Jersey Shore Hurricane News.
“This is a difficult and confusing moment for many families and communities across the state,” said NJ News Commons Director Debbie Galant. “By uniting New Jersey’s news organizations, we are creating a statewide crowdsourced newsroom for Election Day information sharing. Whether tracking long voting lines, voter confusion, polling place changes, or potential irregularities, this collaboration will leverage the multiple news resources of the state and be a needed asset to voters.”
Voters can also report voting problems via a 24-hour hotline set up by the initiative: 732-903-VOTE.
Students from Montclair State’s School of Communication and Media will monitor the hotline during polling hours on Tuesday and will keep the news collaborative up to date on voter problems as they develop.
The NJ News Commons has also set up a crowd-mapping platform allowing voters to report and review problems directly by going to www.njvote.crowdmap.com.
In addition, a live blog pulling in minute-by-minute voting information from the news consortium will be accessible.
The NJ News Commons, which is a project of Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media, is dedicated to creating collaborative opportunities among news organizations in the state. It is supported by the University and by grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the John S. and James L Knight Foundation.
About Montclair State University
Montclair State University offers a comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs to a highly diverse population of 18,500 students in an expansive university setting that combines an intensive focus on student learning and academic success. For more information, visit montclair.edu.
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Media Contacts: Suzanne M. Bronski: 973-655-4334 / 917-292-9554 / bronskis@mail.montclair.edu