Assembly Committee Passes New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act

In an encouraging moment for New Jersey democracy, the Assembly State and Local Government Committee today voted to pass the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, a New Jersey voting rights act.

This legislation protects voters against intimidation and deception at the polls, gives voters more legal tools in court, increases language assistance for voters, creates a preclearance program to stop discriminatory policies before they pass and harm voters, and creates a database of voting and election information to make elections more transparent. It serves and empowers Black and other voters of color by giving them strong legal protections and expanding the franchise so that it is accessible not only by some, but all New Jersey communities.

Seven states, including New York and Connecticut, have already passed state-level voting rights acts.

While New Jersey has taken some important pro-democracy steps in recent years, it's essential that New Jersey pass a state-specific voting rights act given the weakened and still vulnerable federal Voting Rights Act and relentless attacks on democracy in America.

Below are quotes from NJVRA Now Coalition members who offered testimony in support of the legislation today.

"Today was a good day for democracy in New Jersey, with the Assembly taking the first step toward passage of a state voting rights act," said Nuzhat Chowdhury, Senior Counsel in the Democracy & Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. "Over the past decade, federal voting rights protections have been significantly eroded, and they continue to be threatened. New Jersey voters deserve to have equal access to the vote, regardless of their background or community. The New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act, which will protect Black, Brown and other voters of color, is imperative for our state's future. We eagerly await the continued advancement of the bill in the Legislature and then the Governor's signature."

"While New Jersey has taken important steps to improve and expand ballot access in recent years, far too many New Jerseyans still face serious challenges when trying to vote," said ACLU-NJ Campaign Strategist Alejandra Sorto. "Passing the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey (NJVEA) will remove barriers to voting and ensure that all voters can make their voices heard. The ACLU-NJ urges Legislative leaders to pass the NJVEA - the strength of our democracy depends on it."

"Passing NJVRA right now is critical in New Jersey," said Winn Khuong, Executive Director of Action Together New Jersey. "It would provide protections for voters across New Jersey, regardless of ZIP code. We can act to prevent any voter intimidation at the polls and ensure that all New Jersey voters have equal access to voting."

"As a community, we are already fighting to protect our freedom of speech and our ability to advocate for ourselves against controversial bills like IHRA," said Haliema Twam, Civic Engagement and Advocacy Manager at Palestinian American Community Center. "We don't want to have to fight against voter intimidation, too. We would rather continue working on being counted in the census so we can implement fair language access to the polls to better be able to achieve our community needs as a marginalized community. Passing the John Lewis Act fast is critical to our communities to protect our rights as American citizens in one of the most diverse states in the country."

"In Judaism, the Torah (Deut. 30:19) teaches that God has given us the power to choose - between life and death, between blessing and curse," said Rabbi Dr. Joel N. Abraham, Temple Sholom and Faith in New Jersey Board Member. "That choice is made in each moment that we choose good over evil. Our democracy is predicated on the idea of choice. How can we restrict what we lift up as a Divine gift? Only if we extend the right of choice - the ability to vote - to all who are eligible, can we build a society of life and blessing."

"We can only truly represent the people of New Jersey, when all of the people have the same access to vote, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability or the language that you speak," said Mo Kinberg, Director of Democracy Organizing at NJ Working Families Alliance. "The New Jersey Voting Rights Act is essential to removing barriers to vote, addressing discrimination by race in our elections and to building the inclusive, multi-racial democracy that the people of New Jersey deserve."

"Supporting this bill is in RAC-NJ's DNA," said Sarah Blaine, Lead Organizer at RAC-NJ. "Drafts of the language of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 were reviewed and marked up in the conference room of our DC headquarters. At the RAC, we take this history, and the legacy of voting rights work we have inherited from those who came before us, seriously. In this generation, that means lending our voices to support A4083, which would ensure that New Jersey's legislature holds the line against the federal courts' erosion of the 1965 Voting Rights Act."

"This Bill is paramount in assuring equal rights in one of the most basic of protections in the constitution of this country," said Cuqui Rivera, Outreach Director at Latino Action Network Foundation. "Specific to New Jersey, advocates have fought hard and even passed laws in 2019 0f late, to expand voting rights to people on parole and probation and this has expanded our state's eligible voting base to over 80,000, potential new voters. We are in concerning and destructive times ahead. As advocates we will not be silent when our communities are headed towards so many injustices that always affect our most vulnerable populations first. This Bill is the right step forward for us all."

"New Jersey has made tremendous strides in recent years to strengthen its democracy by implementing early voting, increasing vote by mail, and restoring the right to vote for those on parole and probation," said Brett Edkins, Managing Director of Policy & Political Affairs at Stand Up America. "However, voters of color, voters with disabilities, and those whose first language is not English still face unequal barriers to the ballot box across our state. As one of the most diverse states in the country, New Jersey must ensure that the right to vote is accessible to all eligible voters."

"New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the nation," said Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Co-Director, Democracy Campaign at Public Citizen. "In recent years, the state has passed measures to strengthen its democracy, like supporting early voting, promoting accessibility through absentee voting, and restoring the right to vote for those on parole and probation. Passing the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey is an essential step in joining many other states passing similar bills to ensure that everyone can cast their vote and that every voice is heard."

"Our democracy works best when every eligible voter can participate, and the NJVRA provides a defense against discriminatory voting practices that threaten the freedom to vote," said Brent Ferguson, Senior Legal Counsel at Campaign Legal Center. "For decades, federal courts have narrowed and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. The passage of the NJVRA will help to ensure that New Jerseyans have a government that is inclusive and accountable to the people it was formed to serve."

"The stakes for our democracy are too high to accept incremental progress on voting rights, which is why we need the NJVRA now," said Madison Linton with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. "While New Jersey has taken steps to strengthen democratic access in recent years, our state must do more at a time when voting rights face unprecedented attacks nationwide. We believe that all New Jerseyans-regardless of the language they speak-should be able to fully participate at every level of democracy."

"New Jersey has an urgent opportunity to take the mantle of national leadership on voting rights by meeting a critical local need," said Adam Lioz, Senior Policy Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund.  "We can expect attacks, not progress on voting rights at the federal level in 2025 and beyond, so this is the moment to protect Black voters and other voters of color in New Jersey.  The New Jersey Voting Rights Act will do just that, and protect the freedom to vote for all New Jerseyans."

"Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in New Jersey, now numbering nearly one million," said Patrick Stegemoeller, Staff Attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). "The NJVEA will help redress the history of marginalization that voters have faced in immigrant communities and communities of color, notably for the one in three Asian New Jerseyans with limited English ability, and the 83% who speak a language other than English at home. At a time when democracy is under threat, we need to strengthen protections to ensure people can vote regardless of race, ability, or English proficiency."

"New Jersey currently lags in voter participation, which is why we must work to remove barriers to the ballot box while expanding fundamental voting rights by addressing long lines at the polls, the struggles with accessibility, and removing language barriers," said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director of New Jersey LCV. "New Jersey is also home to some of America's worst racial disparities in voter turnout. We don't want our state to become a national embarrassment when it comes to voting rights. That's why we need stronger guardrails to protect against discrimination. The New Jersey Voting Rights Act would protect voters of color and strengthen our democracy by reducing unnecessary barriers."

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