Bhimani and Draeger Call on State To Reverse Vote By Mail Ruling

MORRISTOWN — Candidates for State Assembly, Dr. Lisa Bhimani and Darcy Draeger, issued the following statement in response to a ruling by the New Jersey Division of Elections that strikes thousands of voters across the state from the vote-by-mail rolls:

“The intent of the automatic provision in the new vote by mail law was to provide a permanent alternative to in-person voting, and that’s exactly what voters understood when they signed up,” said Bhimani. “Pulling out the rug from underneath them a year or two years later, after they’ve already turned down an opportunity to opt out, is voter suppression, plain and simple.”

The decision, issued by the Division of Elections, removes thousands of voters from the state’s permanent vote-by-mail list, many of whom already expect their ballots to arrive in the mail in just over a month.

“All day we’ve been hearing from voters who are confused about how to cast their ballots. They signed up to vote by mail, they were told they would continue to receive their ballots in perpetuity, and now they’re hearing the exact opposite,” said Draeger. “We need to be focused on making it easier to vote, not harder. This ruling is irresponsible and wrong.”

“Vote by mail ballots could very well make the difference in our race. We can’t leave this election or any other in New Jersey to administrative error. The Division of Elections must reverse this ruling and send out a correction immediately.”

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