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| New York and New Jersey help Sandy-hit residents vote in US election | New York and New Jersey help Sandy-hit residents vote in US election |
| (8 days later) | |
| Residents of areas of New York and New Jersey that were left without power when Hurricane Sandy struck last week were on Monday being bused to non-damaged polling stations, in order to vote. | Residents of areas of New York and New Jersey that were left without power when Hurricane Sandy struck last week were on Monday being bused to non-damaged polling stations, in order to vote. |
| Executive orders have been signed in both states to allow voters to cast their ballot at any booth, in an attempt to accommodate people who were forced out of their homes by the superstorm. | Executive orders have been signed in both states to allow voters to cast their ballot at any booth, in an attempt to accommodate people who were forced out of their homes by the superstorm. |
| Ernie Landante, a spokesman for the New Jersey Division of Elections, said: "We are doing everything we can in this extraordinary situation not to disenfranchise voters displaced by Sandy. Their voices and their votes will be heard no differently than anyone else's." | Ernie Landante, a spokesman for the New Jersey Division of Elections, said: "We are doing everything we can in this extraordinary situation not to disenfranchise voters displaced by Sandy. Their voices and their votes will be heard no differently than anyone else's." |
| Officials in both states must also provide shelter for all those who are still without power, ahead of a storm which could hit the area as early as Wednesday. The expected nor'easter could bring winds of up to 60mph and more flooding to areas which were hit badly by Sandy. | Officials in both states must also provide shelter for all those who are still without power, ahead of a storm which could hit the area as early as Wednesday. The expected nor'easter could bring winds of up to 60mph and more flooding to areas which were hit badly by Sandy. |
| In New York, up to 40,000 people are expected to need accommodation in the coming days. In cut-off areas of Staten Island and the Rockaways – a coastal region in the borough of Queens – some homeowners have endured an eighth night without power. On Monday, temperatures dropped to near freezing for a second consecutive night. | In New York, up to 40,000 people are expected to need accommodation in the coming days. In cut-off areas of Staten Island and the Rockaways – a coastal region in the borough of Queens – some homeowners have endured an eighth night without power. On Monday, temperatures dropped to near freezing for a second consecutive night. |
| New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said on Monday that the city had adequate shelters for those who needed them. "Every New Yorker who needs a warm place to live and a roof over his or her head is going to have one," he said, before adding that the incoming storm would make the work of emergency teams "more difficult and more urgent". Bloomberg said that housing everyone who needed help would pose a "big challenge". | New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said on Monday that the city had adequate shelters for those who needed them. "Every New Yorker who needs a warm place to live and a roof over his or her head is going to have one," he said, before adding that the incoming storm would make the work of emergency teams "more difficult and more urgent". Bloomberg said that housing everyone who needed help would pose a "big challenge". |
| The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) said it had spent more than $200m on emergency housing assistance and had found places for 34,000 displaced people in hotels and temporary homes in New York and New Jersey. No long-term plan for accommodating all those hit by Sandy has been made. | The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) said it had spent more than $200m on emergency housing assistance and had found places for 34,000 displaced people in hotels and temporary homes in New York and New Jersey. No long-term plan for accommodating all those hit by Sandy has been made. |
| It is thought that more than a million homes and businesses are without power, as a result of downed lines and broken cables. Sandy has been blamed for more than 100 deaths in the US, adding to scores of deaths in the Caribbean. It is feared that with more bad weather on the way, hypothermia could claim move victims, especially among the elderly and infirm. Door-to-door searches are underway in New York, in an attempt to encourage those still suffering from loss of power to find alternative shelters. | It is thought that more than a million homes and businesses are without power, as a result of downed lines and broken cables. Sandy has been blamed for more than 100 deaths in the US, adding to scores of deaths in the Caribbean. It is feared that with more bad weather on the way, hypothermia could claim move victims, especially among the elderly and infirm. Door-to-door searches are underway in New York, in an attempt to encourage those still suffering from loss of power to find alternative shelters. |
| For some on Tuesday, voting was not an immediate concern. One Staten Island resident, Paul Hoppe, said he probably would not vote. He said his home, a block from the beach, was uninhabitable, his family had been displaced and their possessions ruined. "We've got too many concerns that go beyond the national scene," Hoppe said. | For some on Tuesday, voting was not an immediate concern. One Staten Island resident, Paul Hoppe, said he probably would not vote. He said his home, a block from the beach, was uninhabitable, his family had been displaced and their possessions ruined. "We've got too many concerns that go beyond the national scene," Hoppe said. |
| But for others, finding a polling booth was part of the transition back to normality. New York City authorities planned to run shuttle buses every 15 minutes to bring voters to the polls. Sixty of the city's 1,350 polling sites were unusable. Bloomberg said city residents should check the Board of Elections website, in order to find out about polling changes. "Vote. It is our most precious right," he said. | But for others, finding a polling booth was part of the transition back to normality. New York City authorities planned to run shuttle buses every 15 minutes to bring voters to the polls. Sixty of the city's 1,350 polling sites were unusable. Bloomberg said city residents should check the Board of Elections website, in order to find out about polling changes. "Vote. It is our most precious right," he said. |
| In the badly-hit coastal region of Ocean County, New Jersey, officials hired a converted camper van to bring mail-in ballots to shelters in Toms River, Pemberton and Burlington Township. "It's great. This is one less thing I have to think about," said Josephine DeFeis from Seaside Heights, who voted on Monday. | In the badly-hit coastal region of Ocean County, New Jersey, officials hired a converted camper van to bring mail-in ballots to shelters in Toms River, Pemberton and Burlington Township. "It's great. This is one less thing I have to think about," said Josephine DeFeis from Seaside Heights, who voted on Monday. |
| In New York and New Jersey, election officials were guardedly optimistic that power would be restored and that most polling places would be open in all but the worst-hit areas. | In New York and New Jersey, election officials were guardedly optimistic that power would be restored and that most polling places would be open in all but the worst-hit areas. |
| New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order Monday allowing residents to cast a so-called affidavit or provisional ballot at any polling place in the state. Such votes will be counted after officials confirm the voter's eligibility. | New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order Monday allowing residents to cast a so-called affidavit or provisional ballot at any polling place in the state. Such votes will be counted after officials confirm the voter's eligibility. |
| Cuomo said: "Compared to what we have had to deal with in the past week, this will be a walk in the park when it comes to voting." | Cuomo said: "Compared to what we have had to deal with in the past week, this will be a walk in the park when it comes to voting." |
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