The Midterm Elections Are Here!

Election Day for the 2022 Congressional midterms is this Tuesday, November 8th, although NJ residents can vote right now at early voting sites across the state.

Early voting runs through Sunday, November 6th, and polling places are open Mon.-Sat. 10am to 8pm, and Sun. 10am to 6pm.

Find your early voting polling place.

On Election Day, polling places are open 6am to 8pm

Find your Election Day polling place.

Remember:

• If you are in line to vote when polls close at 8pm, you still have the right to vote and cannot be turned away. Stay in line.
• New Jersey does not require voters to show identification in order to vote.
• If there are any issues that cannot be resolved in the moment, request and fill out a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted. Poll workers cannot deny this request.

See NJCA's Congressional endorsements.

Advocates urge N.J. to create statewide mental health screening program for high school students

Advocates in Trenton are pushing the state Legislature to address a proposal that would establish universal screening of high school students at risk of mental health or substance misuse challenges.

New Jersey Citizen Action held a news conference Thursday [Sept. 29] to talk about the benefits of implementing a program known as SBIRT, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment.

[Principal of Bordentown Regional High School, which hosted a pilot program,] Robert Walder, said youth drug use and mental health problems were already “increasing at alarming rates” before the pandemic, but have now reached “tragic levels.” He called the program “a lifeline for this troubling trend that threatens so many young lives.”

Read more

Medical Debt is Shooting Higher in NJ, Even If You Have Health Insurance

New Jersey Citizen Action, in partnership with the HealthCare Value Hub at Altarum, has issued a report that finds almost 4 in 10 Garden State residents (38%) have overdue medical bills.

Laura Waddell, the health care program director at NJ Citizen Action said even though 96% of New Jersey residents have some form of medical insurance “nearly 3 in 10 respondents reported owing $5,000 or more in medical debt.”

The report finds 11% of Jersey residents have more than $10,000 in medical debt.

“49% percent said their medical debt was incurred because their service was not covered, 33% said the deductible was too high,” she said.

"For New Jerseyans who have one of the highest costs of living in the country, the need to address this growing medical debt crisis is greater than ever," Waddell said.

Read more

NJ health insurance Open Enrollment is happening Nov. 1 thru Jan. 31

The NJ health insurance online state marketplace is now in Open Enrollment through the end of January, with plenty of financial assistance for those who qualify.

To get free help enrolling and to see if you qualify, contact NJCA at (888)654-3893, or email [email protected]. Available in English and Spanish. You can enroll at GetCovered.NJ.gov.

Learn more about NJCA's free enrollment assistance

Contact NJCA for Free Help Applying for Student Debt Relief

Before the October 31st deadline for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver period, the NJCA Financial Coaching program helped hundreds of clients take advantage of this opportunity.

Now we’re here to assist all NJ students to receive the up to $20k of debt relief they are entitled to from the Biden Administration. For more information and for help applying for debt relief, email us at paula@njcitizenaction or text 362-229-3014.

Read more about NJCA's Financial Coaching program

NJ Paid Sick Leave Turns 4 - Know Your Rights to Earned Sick Days

Since October 29, 2018, New Jerseyans have been able to take up to 40 hours of paid sick leave to:

• recover from illness
• care for a loved one
• recover from & escape domestic violence
• attend school functions
• not lose pay from school/work closures due to COVID or other outbreaks.

Learn more at mysickdays.nj.gov or njtimetocare.org