EXCEPRT

In 2001, New Jersey held an election to replace a term-limited governor and select a new state legislature that was overshadowed by the World Trade Center attacks and the anthrax scare. These two unforeseen occurrences profoundly affected the election for a number of reasons, including communities preoccupied with mourning losses in the tragedy and mail disruptions that resulted from the recognition that anthrax-laced letters had been sent from central New Jersey post offices delayed the distribution of absentee and sample ballots. Those factors undoubtedly contributed to the lowest turnout on November 6�49 percent of registered voters� since the state�s present constitution was adopted in 1947.