Ahead of a drop box vote targeting the coming, COVID-19-impaired general election, state Senator Ronald L. Rice (D-28) criticized the policymakers in the Office of Governor Phil Murphy, who he said were responsible for peddling legislation that hardly rises to the level of credible, even as he reluctantly voted “aye” amid some “I told you so” comments by the GOP.

Passed by a vote of 22-14, A-4475 requires county boards of election to establish mail-in ballot drop boxes in each county at least 45 days before the election. Under current law, voters who vote using a mail-in ballot may deposit their ballot in the mail or may deliver it in person to the county board of elections or provide it to a mail-in ballot bearer to deliver their ballot. This bill would also entitle mail-in voters to deposit their ballot in a ballot drop box before the time designated for the closing of the polls on election day.

“I think Senator [Kristin] Corrado is correct,” said Rice. “We should be able to go to the machines.”

If people can line up on sidewalks in the middle of the pandemic to buy alcohol, they should be able to vote in-person, argued the veteran senator from Newark.

“This is going to disenfranchise some people,” Rice said of the legislation in question. “I would hope this governor, who preaches civil rights ,understands how blacks and women got the right to vote. When you diminish the opportunities for folks to have every variable to vote, we’re doing a disservice. This is being handled wrongly. I support my governor. I just don’t support all his policymaking people – his policy people.”

Under the bill as amended, the county board of elections in each county would establish ballot drop boxes throughout the county in accordance with the bill. Ballot drop boxes are defined under the bill, as amended, to mean a secured drop box that is not required to be within view of a live person for monitoring, and must be (1) available for use by a voter 24 hours a day and (2) placed at locations equipped with security cameras that allow for surveillance of the ballot drop box. Drop box locations would be required to be accessible to voters with disabilities.

Senator Sam Thompson (R-12) likewise panned the bill as dumb.

“I suggest voters should bring their provisional ballot, and then be permitted to vote on a machine,” Thompson said. “Those who want to, should be permitted to go and vote by machine.”

Ssenator Paul Sarlo (D-36) agreed it was hardly ideal. “I do believe we should be giving our constituents the ability to vote in person,” Sarlo said. “That said, in the dark days of March, I worked on legislation to make it easier on folks. Some form of voting in-person would have been ideal.”

Senator Steve Oroho (R-24) gloated a bit.

“We’re talking a lot about in-person voting,” he said. “A lot of people agree. I do believe the opinion is that in-person voting is an important aspect. We need to have in-person voting.”