TRENTON – The New Jersey State AFL-CIO issued the following statement regarding Governor Christie’s veto of the early voting bill.
“The Governor’s veto of early voting does a disservice to millions of New Jersey voters who deserve every opportunity to participate in our state’s democratic process,” stated New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech. “This bill would have taken into consideration the busy schedules of working families while also encouraging increased civic engagement.”
“The Governor’s veto shamefully silences the voices of an untold number of New Jersey families,” said President Wowkanech. “We have a responsibility to establish procedures to maximize participation in our electoral process since voting is the primary way which our population can bring about change in our democracy.”
While there are state legislatures across the nation pursuing laws to restrict voting through voter ID laws, the early voting bill provided a chance for New Jersey to take steps to increase access to voting. In-person early voting is already practiced in 32 states as well as the District of Columbia.
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