Attorney General Davenport Reminds New Jersey Police: Stay 100 Feet From the Polls, and Let Civilian Officials Run the Election
In an October 19 memorandum to county prosecutors and police executives, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport emphasized that civilian election officials - not officers - administer elections and keep order at polling places, and that officers generally may not remain within 100 feet of a polling place, early voting site or drop box except for an emergency, criminal activity or a disturbance.
The person in charge of your polling place is not a police officer, and New Jersey's attorney general has put that in writing for every department in the state. Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued updated guidance to law enforcement officials ahead of the November 3 general election, according to New Jersey Globe reporting read by this desk, including an October 19 memorandum to county prosecutors and law enforcement executives emphasizing that civilian election officials, not police officers, administer elections and maintain order at polling places.
The memorandum's operative line is distance. Davenport reminded officers that they are generally prohibited from remaining within 100 feet of polling places, early voting locations and ballot drop boxes unless responding to an emergency, criminal activity or a disturbance - a rule NorthJersey.com's voter guide traces to a 2022 state law. The exceptions are the point: police respond when something goes wrong; they do not station themselves where ballots are cast or returned.
The guidance lands on the busiest voting weekend of the year. Early voting ends today at 6 p.m. - and a voter in line at an early voting center by 6 p.m. may vote no matter how long the line is - and Election Day follows on Tuesday, with polls open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the same in-line rule at the close. Voters with questions or problems can call the New Jersey Voter Information and Assistance line at 877-NJVOTER.
