U.S Presidential Election: New York to extend voting for an extra day due to Hurricane Sandy; ...New Jersey residents to vote via email

Now the New York state Board of Elections is preparing for the worst as they are releasing information about possible back-up scenarios if the election turn out is significantly lower than expected because of damage from Hurricane Sandy.

If less than 25 per cent of registered voters show up to polling stations on Tuesday, they are prepared to extend the voting deadline past Tuesday evening, meaning that New Yorkers may have two days to cast their ballots.


The news comes just a day after neighboring New Jersey, which is considered the worst-hit of all of the East Coast because of the hurricane, announced that they will allow residents to email their votes in if they are unable to get to a polling station.

Election organizers are grappling with ways to make sure that the presidential election is not thwarted by any turnout issues stemming from Monday's storm.

The New York board, which consists of two Democrats and two Republicans, will make the final decision Tuesday over whether or not they will hold a second day of voting. They will be comparing this year's turnout to that of previous elections, where typical turnout hovers around 60 per cent of registered voters.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his counterpart in New York, Governor Cuomo, have been reviewing how to prepare their respective states for November 6 - while simultaneously trying to restore electricity and access to food and water.

New Jersey will allow any state resident that has been displaced by the storm to qualify as an overseas voter, meaning they can submit their ballot by fax or email.

Governor Christie also mandated that county clerks open their offices over the weekend to allow early voting and has called for paper ballots to be sent to polling stations still without power.

Changing the date of a national Election Day, which has never actually occurred before, can only occur by an act of Congress, according to legislation from 1845.

Across the U.S., many Americans have already headed to the polls. Roughly 26 million Americans have cast their ballots early in 34 states and in Washington, D.C.

And most Americans are in suspense as to what will be the outcome of the election.