Voters wait in the rain outside a polling place in Jersey City on Tuesday to cast ballots in the midterm elections. Some voters were met with long lines early Tuesday.

Christopher Kelly | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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By Sophie Nieto-Munoz | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

New Jersey voters have been heading to the polls in full force Tuesday with reports of long lines at some locations and scattered problems with casting ballots.

The most common issues so far involve the change in mail-in ballots, polling machines not working and voters being turned away or being forced to use provisional ballots. Voters at one polling location found the doors locked at 6 a.m. when voting started.

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Having trouble voting? Issues at your polling place? Here's how to get help

Anybody who believes their right to vote has been interfered with, or who wishes to report other voting-related problems or concerns, should call the state's Voter Information and Assistance line toll-free at 1-877-NJVOTER.

We'd like to hear if you are having troubles at the polls. Readers can call, text or e-mail secure tips to NJ Advance Media. If you're having a problem at your polling station, let us know.

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Students from @RutgersLaw are providing free legal assistance to New Jersey voters who are illegally turned away from the polls today. #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/XKCZ27CLXz — Rutgers Law ⚖️ (@RutgersLaw) November 6, 2018

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NJ VOTERS: having any trouble with your ballot? issues at the polling place? I’m reporting on any problems residents are having with voting. drop me a line in the DMs, or email me snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com #njvoters #electionday2018 #Midterms2018 — Sophie Nieto-Munoz (@snietomunoz) November 6, 2018

Polling place locked up, gets late start in Somerset County

Somerset County resident Denise Graff said when she went to vote at the Franklin Township Senior Center at 6:30 a.m. - a half hour after polls open - she found a large crowd and polling staffers waiting outside a locked door.

"We showed up bright and early to get our votes out of the way and couldn't do it," Graf said. "They couldn't even pass out emergency ballots because they were locked inside the building."

She said they were told to come back in a half hour, but people were already leaving because they had to get to work.

"A lot of people were concerned they wouldn't get back in time at night because they work in the city. Thirty years and we've never had any issues," said Graf, who returned to the polls at 7:15 a.m. to find the location had opened, but with a line out the door.

The Somerset Board of Elections and the county clerk did not respond to request for comment.

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Voting machine malfunctions in multiple locations

Voters in Middlesex and Mercer counties have reported problems with voting machines being down. Those voters were forced to cast emergency ballots, which are used in the case of a malfunction. Emergency ballots are different than provisional ballots, which are used when voter eligibility is in question.

Daniel Fahrer said the machines were down at the Perry L. Drew school in District 12 of East Windsor, and officials were handing out paper ballots to a long line of frustrated voters. Some left before casting their vote to get to work.

And even though Fahrer, who voted at 8:30 a.m, said he cast an emergency ballot, he’s concerned about the integrity of his vote.

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This is the line to vote in downtown Jersey city. Line is out the door! pic.twitter.com/vzKyvStCdw — Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) November 6, 2018

Casting emergency ballots

"I would say in any other climate, I’d be confident my vote counts. But I don’t know in this climate," Fahrer said. "I hope every vote is counted."

Mercer County Board of Elections officials said the machines were being replaced at 10:30 a.m., and all voters until then would cast emergency ballots, which will be counted.

Franklin Zahn of Old Bridge said he faced the same issue at the South Old Bridge Community Center at 6:30 a.m., but was turned away.

The machines were replaced after 9 a.m. and he was able to cast his ballot via machine, but did not know if other voters were able to make their voices heard.

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I noticed one of the buttons in my booth didn’t function properly...for @MikieSherrill. I didn’t think to report it until a friend in the same district had the same issue. She told a poll work who said, oh well not my problem. What?! @NJ_Politics @MikieSherrill #district11 #nj — Sheila E. Pic (@SheilaEee) November 6, 2018

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#IVoted and made a total scene at my polling place regarding the incompetence of poll workers, resulting me me talking to a reporter. Happy #ElectionDay everyone! #MidtermElections2018 — Maren (@MissMaren5) November 6, 2018

Lack of directions

In Hoboken's Ward 5, voters reported some confusion at the polls. Resident Maren Nicholson said when she arrived at the Joseph F. Brandt Primary School, the four tables representing the districts were not labeled, and there was no direction given other than getting in a line and hoping it’s the right one, she said.

Luckily, Nicholson has been voting for eight years and knows the correct table, but saw others were confused and frustrated. When she got to the worker at her table, she said was faced with a new issue -- the worker was taking what she believed was an intentionally long time to find names, or telling potential voters they were not in the registration book.

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Not listed in registration book

"She can’t find my name and shrugged, like, 'too bad,'" said Nicholson, who ran back home to grab her sample ballot for proof. "Once I got back in the right line, I had to open the section myself and find my name because she couldn't. My name was right there the whole time."

Nicholson was able to vote, but others were being handed provisional ballots.

"I’m annoyed. It took 45 minutes because no one knew what they were doing. It’s incompetence," Nicholson said. "It’s not what you want when you’re trying to vote before work, and it’s going to be worse after work."

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First time ever, but I was actually turned away from my polling place, in NJ. Called election board & was told to return there as I’m on the record there. WTH is going on? #Vote2018 #2018midtems — Tee (@tverhal182) November 6, 2018

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Hey @electionland I went to vote today in Vincentown, NJ and found that I had to do a provisional ballot because somehow they thought I registered for a mail in ballot (I didn't) — Isabella Castiglioni (@IzzyCastiglioni) November 6, 2018

Defaulted as a mail-in ballot

The most widely reported issue so far has been voters casting provisional ballots because they were automatically listed for a mail-in ballot after Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new law earlier this year.

The law says that if you mailed in your ballot in the 2016 elections, you are now considered a mail-in voter and should have received a ballot in advance. Murphy said it was intended to expand voter participation, but those headed to the polls Tuesday found confusion and delays.

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Do everything right, still might not get to vote. Fiancée sent in her registration same time as me. I have to vote provisionally bc NJ prints out voting rolls b4 registration deadline. Her registration was never post-marked so she was denied and is in front of a judge right now. — erik gratton (@ErikFallsDown) November 6, 2018

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Joe Binshtock said he voted by mail-in ballot in 2014 or 2015, and was aware of the new law. He even took the extra step to remove himself from the mail-in materials, faxing the Middlesex County Clerk's office twice and calling to ensure he was taken off the list.

But that won't apply until November 2019, he said. Binshtock said he was told when he arrived to the polls that he would be unable to vote due to the new law, but he refused to leave until he could cast a ballot.

"They basically said I am out of luck. I said, 'No, I must vote and you have to find a way for me,'" he said, noting that officials eventually let him cast a provisional ballot. "They acted like they were doing me a favor."

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Binshtock is also concerned his vote won't be counted, and said the law should have been communicated better to voters.

"I'm a little disappointed that my vote will be wasted," he said. "I'm at a loss. Going back and reading the fine print, it's true he passed the law. But not everyone reads so every little word. Why wasn't it communicated clearly?"

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@TheRickWilson In NJ, learned something new. If you mailed in a vote last time, the BOE will automatically mark you as a mail in for future votes. You can fill out a paper ballot at the poll. You have to inform the BOE that you want to vote at ur polling place. — Dave (@dtpkll) November 6, 2018

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The court ruled today, #ElectionDay morning, that:

✅Yasmeen can vote today

✅Middlesex County must contact voters before it can reject them

✅The county has to process all applications in the pile



Yasmeen is what democracy looks like. 🗽 3/3 pic.twitter.com/JhchnT5A1e — ACLU of New Jersey (@ACLUNJ) November 6, 2018

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Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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