Scroll down for important deadlines leading up to and after the November 3 in-person election.
Inform the VoteNJ founder Steve Solof aims to do just that by providing election coverage, with a special focus on Cumberland County.
In this era, the intense belief favoring one political side or the other has created the desperate need for a middle ground—someone to earnestly seek out and analyze the political scene from a neutral view. Vineland resident Steve Solof has fervently embraced that role.
Solof, 43, founded Inform The VoteNJ—an independent civic media project, created in response to the lack of centralized, accessible election information throughout Cumberland County and South Jersey.
Rather than depend on short campaign advertisements, meet and greets with specious information, and apparent attempts to avoid addressing issues at all; the project combines outreach, interviews, public meetings, social media, forums, event coverage, frank talks with campaign operatives, analysis, and educational resources for the sole purpose of helping voters in their decisions and encouraging them to cast ballots.
In the beginning about three years ago, of course, the task landed somewhere between difficult and insurmountable.
“They weren’t sure what to make of me, and they didn’t understand my goals and what I was doing,” said Solof. “Often, I felt like I was screaming into a void.
“All I want to do is just get basic information and share it with the public, that shouldn’t be so hard,” he added.
With the founding of the Inform project, along with time and effort, campaign spokespersons, candidates themselves, and public officials began recognizing Inform as a media presence.
“Now, it’s a mixed bag, some in each party have opened up to me. It’s getting more interesting,” Solof said.
He is far from reaching his objectives, but it’s clear he has a lot of momentum on his way there.
With the total change in focus of the principal Vineland and Millville news source, The Daily Journal, and the closing of the venerable Bridgeton Evening News, Cumberland County is a “news desert,” joining hundreds of towns and cities across the country suffering the same fate.
Without regular news, the populace is not only left in the dark about local politics (and community affairs in general), but also becomes disinterested and not motivated to vote.
As Solof attempts to fill this emptiness, he knows he has to be fair in his activities and writing, and it seems he is succeeding..
“I can speak firsthand that being interviewed by Steven is a positive experience. Steven’s goal of informing the public about the election process, candidates who are on the ballot, or interviewing folks who work with campaigns is on target for factual information,” commented Arvene Kilby, vice chairman, Cumberland County Regular Republican Organization and Cumberland County State Committee Woman.
“I had a very positive experience participating in an interview with InformTheVoteNJ. I think Cumberland County benefits from having an additional source of neutral press, an election-focused website, election-related articles, and long-form candidate interviews,” commented Michelle Azpiri, director, Bridgeton Public Library and candidate for Bridgeton City Council.
Solof’s means of communicating with his audiences include his website, Facebook group, YouTube channel, and the Inform the VoteNJ radio interview program on WVLT-92.1 FM based in Vineland.
“Recently, I have been asking even more questions, going to a lot of public meetings, often more than one or two a week, getting records from the New Jersey Open Public Records Act so that the public can be informed on the issues. There have been one or two places where I have been uninvited,” he said.
In the big picture, though, the Inform organization is gradually building a niche.
“I’ve built up a good deal of credibility among some people both Republican and Democratic and I’m recognized as a media person,” Solof said. “Sometimes when I’m present and asking questions, they’ll say, ‘It’s the election coverage guy.’ ”
Solof described the need to keep asking the questions. He said that sometimes he gets an answer and sometimes he doesn’t get an answer or gets a partial one, so then he asks it again. He is concerned about the candidate websites and public appearances not being as forthcoming about positions as they should be and that disadvantages the voters.
“I want my audience to get as much information as possible,” he said. “I try to strike a reasonable balance between what a curious voter would want to know and a full-fledged newsroom, which I am certainly not.”
Like those Solof covers, he’s a campaigner, but not for a partisan position or candidate. He’s instead a fierce advocate of voters finding out what’s going on. Simple. Right?
Key Election Dates
October 13: Voter Registration Deadline for General Election
October 13: Mandated Evening Voter Registration Available for General Election in Offices of County Commissioners of Registration
October 21: Mailing of Sample Ballots for General Election
October 24 – November 1: Early Voting Period
October 27: Deadline to apply for a Mail-In Ballot by Mail for General Election
October 30: Deadline for Application to Receive General Election Mail-In Ballots by Electronic Means for Qualified Overseas Civilian and Military Voters
November 2 – by 3 p.m.: Deadline for In-Person Mail-In Ballot Applications for General Election
November 3: General Election Day
November 3: Deadline for Post Office Receipt of Mail-In Ballots from the General Election
November 3 – by 8 p.m.: Deadline for In-Person Submission of General Election Mail-In Ballots to County Boards of Election and to Authorized Ballot Drop Boxes
November 5: Deadline for Receipt by County Boards of Elections of Mail-In Ballots by Delivery of the United States Postal Service that DO NOT Bear a Postmark of Delivery
November 9: Deadline for Receipt of Timely Mailed Postmarked Mail-In Ballots to County Boards of Election
November 14: Deadline for Receipt of Cure Form to County Boards of Election
December 3: Deadline for Meeting of Board of State Canvassers to Certify General Election Results
