Voting is Essential to a Functioning Democracy, and Recently Advanced Legislation Would Help Protect This Right

Imagine if your vote didn’t carry the same weight as your neighbor’s? Maybe you couldn’t fully understand the ballot because of a language barrier, making it harder to make a well-informed choice. Or worse, what if you – or others – faced intimidation, keeping you from making it to the ballot box at all?

That is the reality some people face, and it highlights why the advancement of the “John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey” or A4083 in the Assembly State and Local Government committee yesterday was so crucial. With this move, we are one step closer to establishing stronger protections against voter discrimination in New Jersey.

Named after the late Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights icon who fought tirelessly for voting equality, the bill honors his legacy by working to defend the rights of all voters. One key way it aims to do this is by preventing jurisdictions, like cities and counties, with a history of voting rights violations,from making changes to their election practices without first getting approval from the Attorney General.

Additionally, the bill would also help create the “New Jersey Voting and Elections Institute,” which would be housed at a state public university. This institute would manage and make public local election data but also conduct research to improve the voting process and ensure elections are fair for everyone.

Sponsored by Assembly members Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Benjie E. Wimberly, Shavonda Sumter, and Herb Conaway, this bill is step in the right direction for making sure every New Jerseyan’s vote is protected and fully counted, reaffirming the integrity of our democracy.