Prospective voters who appeared before judges in Monmouth and Ocean counties today in bids to vote in the 2024 general election were unsuccessful under a state law that sets the voter registration deadline.
A 19-year-old Monmouth County man told Superior Court Judge Linda Grasso Jones that he had missed the deadline by one day. But unlike an application in Hudson County on Wednesday, where the judge determined a one-day late application shouldn’t disenfranchise the voter, the Monmouth man told Jones he had still not completed his registration. The voters’ names are being withheld by the New Jersey Globe.
This was the latest in a record number of voter voters appearing before judges in a final attempt to protect their own voting rights.
The law and policy director at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Henal Patel, wants same-day voter registration to eliminate issues like this.
“Why are we turning away eligible voters? Year after year, New Jersey disenfranchises voters because of our arbitrary 21-day registration deadline,” Patel said. “It’s shameful and unnecessary. It is long past time for us to join the over 20 states that have same-day voter registration.”
If you are not allowed to vote or feel incorrectly pushed to vote on a provisional ballot when you’re entitled to vote on the machine, you can present your case to a Superior Court Judge to determine your eligibility to vote. Judges will be on call for each of the nine days of early voting; hearings are done remotely, and you can attend a hearing via Zoom from your phone at a polling location.
Voters should not readily accept being turned away. Ask to speak to the person in charge, known as the Super Poll Worker, the individual who is most fluent in ways that can help you vote.
If you intend to appear before an election judge, you may call the ACLU Voter Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or contact your county election officials. Click HERE for a list.