No lines, things run smoothly as Prudential Center serves as super polling site

Voting began in Newark, including at a super polling that was set up at the Prudential Center, but there was a slight delay at one polling place.

News 12 Staff

Nov 3, 2020, 9:03 PM

Updated 1,440 days ago

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Voting began in Newark at 6 a.m., including at a super polling that was set up at the Prudential Center, but there was a slight delay at one polling place. 
While New Jersey's election was conducted mostly by mail, there were some polling locations open today, and among them was the Prudential Center. A line of around a dozen people waited for the doors to open at 6 a.m., and since then, there were a handful of voters each hour, and no lines.
The New Jersey Devils partnered with the city of Newark and the Essex County Board of Elections to set up the site. Certain districts in Newark will be able to vote at the location. About 12 tables have been set up for people to cast a provisional ballot or drop off their mail-in ballots.
Across town, the line was much longer after the opening of a church voting location was delayed about 35 minutes. Voters waited outside the Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church on Lyons Avenue until around 6:35 a.m., 35 minutes later than they were supposed to.
“Everybody was upset because they didn’t have the ballots,” says Karen Wilkinson, of Newark. “They kept telling us 10 minutes, five minutes, so I still don’t understand why the ballots weren’t here.”
News 12 asked the woman first in line if she believed opening the Prudential Center as a polling location would make a difference in turnout. 
“I’m not sure,” says Cassandra Banks, of Newark. “I feel like there’s a little bit of a mixed feeling coming out to vote because people are scared of coronavirus and you have the people who just don’t know what it’s all and you have the people, they sent me a ballot in the mail so I’m just going to do by mail voting, but I want to do it in person.”
The last time there was a crowd at the Prudential Center was eight months ago when the Devils lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Prudential Center is not expected to be very crowded, but officials say that they are prepared to socially distance any crowds that may show up.
Election Day 2020
The woman overseeing the site for the Prudential Center told News 12’s Nick Medanis Monday that they'll be ready for one voter, or 8,000 voters. The tables are set up with social distancing in mind. 
New Jersey's top election official, Secretary of State Tahesha Way, is expected to be on site.
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