Wyckoff Polling Places Unchanged after Sandy, Officials Say

Wyckoff residents have been plagued by power outages, downed trees, blocked roads, cold homes and 3-hour long lines at gas stations over the past 5 days, but it seems that on Election Day voters won't be pestered figuring out new polling places.

Township officials decided Friday not to move the location of voting machines across Wyckoff, despite a lack of electricity at all four polling places.

"The plan is to have voting in all the schools as planned," Wyckoff Mayor Chris DePhillips said Friday, as voting machines were delivered to each of the schools.

If power isn't not up for the four schools where voting is scheduled to occur — Sicomc, Lincoln, Coolidge and Eisenhower — the township would provide generators to ensure adequate lighting and power for voting booths. 

The township, earlier this year, unveiled a new map with two additional voting districts following a redistricting by the county.

Sicomac could provide issues, however, DePhillips said, because voters would have to walk through hallways to get to gym, where voting booths would be located and a long stretch of hallway between there and the entrance may present lighting issues. 

The township may have to supply light extensions, DePhillips said.

Their goal is to provide enough power to allow residents to vote and accommodations at the schools are likely to be bare bones. 

"There's not going to be a lot of heat in those places, so the county poll workers will have to dress adequately," DePhillips said.

Voting, which will take place on Nov. 6 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., will be facilitated by election workers provided by the county.

If one of the polling places is compromised for whatever reason, township officials have said the DPW building on West Main Street could serve as backup voting location.

It was unclear if The County Board of Elections would have trouble staffing polling places around the county on Tuesday. The BOE couldn't be reached at their Hackensack offices for comment on Friday afternoon. DePhillips, however, said he hadn't heard that staffing would be a problem.

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