Cherry Hill's Nov. 3 election is running on schedule despite a shakeup at the top of New Jersey's election oversight.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Sept. 25 appointed Shirley Emehelu as acting secretary of state, replacing Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, who resigned after an internal ethics investigation found substantiated allegations of sexual harassment. Emehelu had been serving as acting state comptroller.

The state's Division of Elections drop-box page lists Emehelu as acting secretary of state. Two Cherry Hill secure ballot drop boxes are open through Election Day: Camden County College's Cherry Hill campus at 1889 Marlton Pike East and Cherry Hill Library at 1100 Kings Highway North.

Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello said the November elections "will be well-handled." Erik Cruz Morales of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey said the group does not expect the change to affect voters. Elections are administered by county officials, not the secretary of state directly.

Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. praised Sherrill's handling of the situation in a statement, saying the governor "has put this distraction to bed so we can move on as a state."

Emehelu brings federal and state legal experience to the role. She previously worked in white-collar defense and asset recovery at the U.S. Attorney's Office and served as executive assistant attorney general, the third-ranking official in New Jersey's Attorney General's Office, from May 2022 until September 2024, according to an NJ 101.5 column.

Sherrill said she named Emehelu with the midterm elections 39 days away. "It is of paramount importance that our elections run smoothly, and that New Jerseyans have confidence in the officials overseeing them," the governor said Sept. 25, according to NJ Spotlight News.

As we reported Sept. 27, Caldwell's departure came as Cherry Hill voters began receiving mail-in ballots. The Nov. 3 ballot includes the U.S. House race between incumbent Democrat Donald Norcross and Republican Damon Galdo, plus the U.S. Senate contest between incumbent Democrat Cory Booker and Republican Justin Murphy.

The secretary of state certifies candidates on ballots and attests to the accuracy of election totals. But the day-to-day work of running elections falls to county officials.

Sherrill has 45 days from Sept. 25 to appoint a new lieutenant governor, according to Patch. No timeline for a permanent secretary of state has been announced.

Key dates for Cherry Hill voters: the registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 13, early voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, and mail ballot requests by mail are due by Oct. 27.