Voting In New Jersey

We do not agree with Acting Governor Codey’s ideas expressed in his State of the State address for improving voting in New Jersey. The “easier” we make it for people to vote, the more confusion and potential for fraud we introduce into the process. Late registration deadlines and the ridiculous same day registrations are an administrative nightmare, don’t allow for proper vetting of voter eligibility and are a prescription for voter fraud.

Absentee voting should be reserved for its original purpose; for those too infirm or ill to vote at their designated polling place and for those that will be absent from the state on election day. The more absentee ballots cast; the greater the margin of error in vote tabulation; the longer it takes to declare a final vote count and winner; and a massive increase in absentee voting is an invitation for fraud.

Motor voter, provisional and mail-in ballot laws have not improved the faith and confidence citizens have in the voting process and election results. The easier we make the voting process, the more complaints and election day lawsuits we experience. New Jersey should learn from the experience of other states that have liberalized their registration and voting laws. We don’t need to emulate the debacles of Washington State or risk furthering our state’s reputation for corruption.

In our opinion, voting in New Jersey isn’t difficult. Any citizen eligible to register and vote can do so easily can under current law. However, we believe New Jersey needs to tighten its voting laws and their enforcement in order to restore our citizen’s confidence in the system. Presently, eligibility and residency requirements are not strictly followed or enforced. There seems to be no consequence for voter fraud. We heartily agree every vote should count, we just also happen to believe every vote counted should be legal.

We don’t know enough about the pros and cons of electronic voting machines and paper receipt requirements to form an educated opinion. However, the requirement sounds like a potential complication and we’re not sure how this helps in cases of system crashes, lost votes or system tampering. We don’t really know why a receipt should be required for electronic voting machines – voters never received them with the mechanical equipment – what’s the difference? A receipt does not guarantee a vote will be accurately counted.