Across the country, there is a growing and deeply troubling pattern of federal overreach that is threatening the democratic process as we know it, especially when election results go against the party currently in power at the federal level. From the recently advanced SAVE Act, which would impose voting ID requirements that could disenfranchise eligible voters, to the call for nationalizing elections, combined with aggressive federal interventions in local election administration — including the FBI’s raid on election offices in Fulton County, Georgia — there are heightened concerns about the potential weakening of a process that has long been the bedrock of our democracy.

New Jersey is ensuring no one is silenced. The “John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey,” (A1715) sponsored by Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and advanced out of the Assembly State and Local Government Committee today, would encourage maximum participation among eligible voters, helping ensure they have access to voting without obstacles or limitations.

“As we commemorate our nation’s 250^th anniversary—founded on the principle of ‘no taxation without representation’—we are confronted with the Trump administration’s intensifying desire to harm the integrity of our electoral process. This makes the advancement of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act even more critical than ever in order to safeguard our democracy,” said Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer). “Our vote is how we advocate for ourselves, our communities, and our country. Protecting that right is not a partisan issue. It is a shared belief to ensuring that every eligible New Jerseyan can participate in the civic process that shapes our daily lives.”

The bill has three main goals: protecting the right of voters to have their ballot cast and counted; ensuring that eligible voters are not impaired in registering to vote; and ensuring voters of race, color, and language-minority groups have equitable access to fully participate in the electoral process in registering to vote and voting. The bill would establish an independent Division of Voting Rights to oversee the implementation and enforcement of the bill’s provisions and State election laws.

“In 1965, on a day known now as ‘Bloody Sunday,’ Representative Lewis and other activists crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge to draw national attention to the voting discrimination Black Americans faced. Despite the brutality they faced, their brave actions helped pave the way for the Voting Rights Act. This legislation honors that work by ensuring this fundamental right is protected across New Jersey,” added Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson. 

Expanding on key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the legislation would reinforce the need for protections against voter dilution and voter suppression by creating a preclearance process through which localities with a history of discrimination or that meet certain factors must seek pre-approval to make changes to their electoral and voting process. It would also create a central, public database of elections data in NJ and would require language access or assistance for languages other than English that meet certain criteria. The bill would also provide for procedures to resolve potential violations, including allowing voters to sue in state court if they experienced voter intimidation, deception or obstruction.

Additionally, the legislation would provide for the creation of the “New Jersey Voting and Elections Institute,” which would be located at a public university in New Jersey. The Institute would manage a central database of election and voting data, accessible to the public, from local election offices and political subdivisions across the state. The Institute would also support research on current laws and best practices in voting and elections.

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson observed that today’s advancement of the bill came during the 100^th celebration of Black History Month and two days before what would have been John Lewis’ 86^th birthday, noting “it’s a blessing to celebrate all of this at the same time.”