[ad_1]
TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday enacted a bill instituting early voting in an event aimed at contrasting his state with Republican efforts to limit access elsewhere.
“Today, New Jersey reminds the nation that our democracy is strengthened when we allow the voices of the people to be heard more easily,” Murphy, a Democrat, said at a Zoom ceremony surrounded by advocates for the voting rights, including Fair Fight founder Stacey. Abrams.
With a nod to Abrams, Murphy continued, “I cannot ignore that this early voting bill was passed by our legislature on the same day the governor of Georgia signed a law restricting the right to vote for Georgians. , even making it a crime to give a voter a bottle of water waiting in line. “
Democrats control both houses of the New Jersey legislature.
Abrams applauded the change and condemned states that have enacted restrictions and those that plan to do so.
“Advance voting in person tells Americans who have to work on a schedule that is not based on an 18th century agrarian economy that their voice counts,” she said.
Former President Donald Trump’s stolen election lie has inspired an avalanche of election-related bills across the country, as GOP lawmakers across the country seek to add restrictions on postal voting and voting. other electoral practices which they believe are necessary to improve public confidence in the results. Clearly, the 2020 election was safe and the results accurate. Trump’s own attorney general William Barr said there was no evidence of widespread electoral fraud and that the president’s legal efforts to overturn the results failed in courtrooms across the country.
Democrats and voting rights advocates have criticized proposals like removing voters and taking Republican power. Restrictive and expansive electoral legislation is under consideration in at least 43 states. So far Georgia and Iowa have enacted major restrictions. Republicans in Texas, Florida and Arizona have also advanced restrictive laws through committee hearings.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, enacted sweeping changes to the state’s electoral system last Thursday, prompting protests and condemnation from President Joe Biden and other top Democrats. The bill expands early voting for most elections, while adding strict requirements elsewhere and dramatically reducing early voting for second-round races. Lawyers have filed a lawsuit to prevent the law from being enforced.
Kemp hit back at Murphy’s remarks in a tweet Tuesday afternoon, noting that his state offers more early voting days than New Jersey.
However, not all election laws are partisan. On Monday evening, the Republican-controlled Kentucky legislature approved a rare bipartisan package of election bills, adding three days of advance voting for absent in-person and codifying some of the electoral changes used by the state to facilitate voting during the pandemic.
The New Jersey bill will create up to nine early voting days before an election, and it includes evening hours and two early voting weekends in general elections.
“Weekend and evening hours are essential – not everyone has availability during the regular working day on Tuesday and being able to do so on weekends when work or on-call obligations occur. ‘Children Are Different is extremely useful for people who do not have flexibility in their schedules, “said Eliza Sweren-Becker, an attorney at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, which follows the electoral laws of the states.
Previously, New Jersey allowed advance voting for absentees in person before elections. Implementing early voting – which means allowing voters to vote on the same machines used on polling day – won’t come cheap. A non-partisan tax analysis of the legislation estimated that the new voting machines, poll books and other necessary equipment could run the state over $ 40 million.
Murphy said the state will work with county officials to ensure a smooth implementation of the new system.
“With that, ladies and gentlemen, it is now the law of the land,” Murphy said after signing the bill and presenting it to the rest of the Zoom attendees.
[ad_2]
Source link