Bucco Urges In-Person Machine Voting with Vote-by-Mail Option to Reduce Confusion, Protect Public Health, Safeguard Trust in the Election Process

Says Applying to Vote by Mail, Rather than Automatic Mail Ballot, is Best Way to Protect Ballot Integrity

Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) released the following statement about the Governor’s Executive Order requiring an automatic vote-by-mail election:

“There’s no reason why voters can shop in a supermarket or wait hours on a line at a Murphy-led Motor Vehicle agency, and not be able to also spend a few minutes to cast their vote safely and securely on a machine, in-person, on Election Day.

“This is not a debate about whether someone can vote by mail – they can and they should if that is their preference – the true debate is about the integrity of the system when polling locations are changed, live ballots are automatically sent to tens of thousands of voters who are deceased or no longer living at a given address, and the coming confusion on election night when County Boards of Elections are overwhelmed with counting ballots and winners could remain unknown for weeks. Now is not the time to be changing the rules, creating voter confusion, and disenfranchising voters.

“I know personally how voter files can be outdated – my son, who has not lived in my home for ten years and votes in New York – received a live ballot during the Primary. Similar stories have been shared with me from countless residents who understand doing an automatic vote-by-mail election is a disaster waiting to happen.

“Further, with 1.5 million residents collecting unemployment as schools, restaurants, gyms and other businesses remain closed, the State has a perfect opportunity to begin to supplement traditional poll workers who may be unable to work on Election Day due to the pandemic.”