Only 17 days remain until the presidential election, and public concern over Governor Phil Murphy’s vote-by-mail mandate continues to grow.

This week, New Jersey State Senator Michael J. Doherty (R-23) was contacted by a constituent who received three different ballots for three different versions of her name.  The constituent received the three ballots, all allowing her to vote in New Jersey, even though she has been registered to vote in Pennsylvania for the last two years.  The constituent also received a New Jersey ballot for her mother, who died seven years ago and was registered to vote in Pennsylvania at the time of her death.

“This is an unprecedented travesty.  Residents see what is going on, and they have lost confidence in the system. Who can blame them?” Doherty asked. “Every day we hear from people who received multiple ballots, ballots for people who have not lived at an address for years, and reports of boxes of ballots abandoned, dumped and undelivered by the U.S. postal service.

“When voters lose trust in the government’s ability to run fair elections, freedom is in jeopardy.”

Two months ago, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order No. 177 making the November 3 general election an all vote-by-mail event.

Doherty disagrees with Governor Murphy’s executive order, stating, “For months, people have been standing at the check-out counters of big box stores and supermarkets, but Murphy insists that it is too dangerous for residents to wait in line, six feet apart, to cast a ballot?  Murphy asserts that people are incapable of wearing a mask and spending three minutes in a voting booth, yet it is safe to march arm-in-arm with protesters?  The hypocrisy is indefensible and off the charts crazy.

“For residents who love this country, this is very personal,” Doherty said. “They want to exercise their constitutional right to vote, and they want to vote in person.  Shame on you Governor Murphy for trashing our Constitution and turning New Jersey into a banana republic.”