Vol. 3 Issue 3

             NJ Mental Health Consumers Pledge to Vote          
 

This year, Election Day falls on Tuesday, November 2nd, and the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Assuming that you registered to vote by the deadline in October, your main priority from now until  Election Day is to learn the issues, learn about the candidates, and pledge to vote.

Along with this edition of Consumer Viewpoint, you’re also receiving a Citizen Education Voting Pledge Card.  Be one of thousands of mental health advocates this year who pledge to vote—and help others vote.  Just print your name, sign the card, and mail it back to our office in Trenton so that we can build momentum around this important, basic civil right.  And then, of course, vote!

As you can see, the message on the card is simple:

I understand the serious issues facing people with mental illnesses, will go to the polls on Election Day and will help others I know get to their polling places, as well.  I pledge that I will exercise my right to vote on Tuesday, November 2, 2004, thereby guaranteeing that the rights of people with mental illnesses will be upheld in Washington, D.C. and Trenton, NJ.

But the message to elected officials will be clear and significant:  People with mental illnesses have the right to vote, are well versed on the issues, make informed decisions about their candidates, and exercise their voting rights.

If for any reason on Election Day, you feel that your voting rights are being abused or ignored, call New Jersey Protection and Advocacy (NJP&A) directly.  This organization is federally funded to protect the rights of people with disabilities.  On Election Day, they will have legal experts available to counsel you on how to protect your rights at the polls.  You can reach them at 800-922-7233 (voice) or 609-777-0187 (fax).  You can also check out their website at www.njpanda.org.

Remember that mental health consumers have the right to vote—regardless of whether they live in the hospital or in the community.  On November 2, 2004, you have the right to go to the polls and choose the candidate you believe in—with a few exceptions:

• If you forget to register by Monday, October 4th.
   

• If you're not a citizen of the United States.
   

• If you're younger than 18.
   

• If you moved into your current state or county in the last 30 days and forgot to re- register by October 4th.
   

• If a judge has ordered that you are mentally incompetent AND unable to vote, you can't vote.  That's not the same thing as being in a hospital.  Even if you are currently being treated in a hospital, you have the right to vote unless a judge has ordered that you are incompetent AND unable to vote.  And if you 're managing your mental illness in the community, with family, friends, or just on your own, you have the right to vote.
   

• If you are serving a sentence, or if you are on parole or probation for an indictable offense, you can't vote.  However, if you've served your sentence or are no longer on parole or probation, you re- earned the right to vote.
   

Every county in New Jersey has a count clerk's office that handles voting in that county, in cooperation with the New Jersey Division of Elections in Trenton.  If you need to learn where your polling place is, call your county clerk directly.  He or she will also be able to verify your voter registration in advance of Election Day.  All 21 county clerks are listed in this edition of Consumer Viewpoint.

          What if I Can't Get to the Polls?   
              

      If you can’t go to the polls on Election Day, you can vote in absentia.  You still have to be registered by October 4th.  But instead of having to physically go to the polls, you can use an absentee ballot.  You may apply for an absentee ballot by completing an Absentee Ballot Application and mailing it to your county clerk up to seven days prior to Election Day, or Tuesday, October 26.  Or, you can go in person to the clerk’s office by 3:00 pm on Monday, November 1 to fill out the application.  Then you just have to return it to the clerk by midnight on Election Day.

Click here for a full listing of the County Clerks Office.
 

     Learn the Issues!   

When the candidates are on the campaign trail, they try to state their position on the most popular issues-- because they're looking for the popular vote.  Unfortunately, mental health issues aren't usually that popular, so consumer advocates work harder to find out which candidate is most likely to vote our way when important piece of legislation comes up in Washington.

To find out about mental health issues join the MHANJ's Legislative Network.  We provide ongoing information (via, email, newsletters, and our website) to help you understand the policies we're advocating for and the bills we hope to push in the next Congressional session.  Some of them most pressing issues this year are:

• Federal initiatives to increase affordable housing in New Jersey.

• Parity in insurance coverage for mental health treatment.

• Federal funding for research and treatment of mental illness.

• Federal funding to the states, known as "block grants," for treatment and services.

• Federal funding for services to people in the criminal justice system who have mental illness.

• Treatment options for people who are on federal Medicare and also state Medicaid.

• Alternatives for the treatment of children and adolescents who have mental illness.

    
   Learn about the Candidates!     

     This year, New Jersey citizens will vote for a new President and all 13 of our elected officials in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.  That means we’re deciding who will represent us when federal-level legislation comes on the floor in the next four years. 

T    To assess a candidate, first consider the incumbents, or those people who currently hold their seats.  For example, has President Bush lived up to your expectations of what our President should be doing for mental health?  If yes, you may consider voting for him or you may consider his opponents.  Here is a list of all presidential candidates:

 This year's election will also decide who will represent New Jersey's interests in Washington, D.C.  We currently have 13 Congressional districts that are held by incumbents, and a large majority of these candidates are being challenged.  Click here, for a full list of candidates for New Jersey's House of Representatives.

Click here for additional legislative information and to check the voting record of any incumbent in the House of Representatives.