Politicians around the country are trying to make it harder for people – especially historically disenfranchised groups – to exercise their right to vote.
Here in New Jersey, our elected officials have taken important steps to improve and expand ballot access, but far too many New Jerseyans still face serious challenges when trying to vote. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey (A4554/S2997) – known as the New Jersey Voting Rights Act (NJVRA) – would protect voters of color and strengthen our democracy.
Tell New Jersey lawmakers: we have a crucial opportunity to make the Garden State a national leader in protecting and strengthening voting rights by passing the NJVRA.
We need a strong New Jersey Voting Rights Act that will:
- Require local governments with a history of discrimination to prove that certain voting changes will not harm voters of color before those changes can go into effect.
- Provide new legal tools to fight discriminatory voting rules and practices in court.
- Expand language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency.
- Include strong protections against voter intimidation, deception, and obstruction at the polls.
- Instruct state judges to interpret election laws in a pro-voter way whenever possible.
- Create a hub for election data to promote accessibility and transparency.
As one of the most diverse states in the country, New Jersey must step up in strengthening voting rights and dismantling barriers to the ballot that disproportionally impact communities of color. Tell the New Jersey Legislature: a strong NJVRA will tackle discrimination in voting, increase language access and assistance, prohibit deceptive practices at the polls, and ensure that all voters have an equal chance to make their voices heard at the ballot box – we must pass the NJVRA.
In solidarity,
ACLU of New Jersey
P.S. Celebrate the launch of a new campaign to pass the New Jersey Voting Rights Act (NJVRA) with the ACLU of New Jersey, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and more. Tune in on Tuesday, February 21, 1:00 PM. Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, facebook.com.
