OPINION
In our time as public servants, dedicated to advocating for the equitable treatment of all people in New Jersey, we have never encountered a voting crisis like the one approaching us right now.
Every single day, federal attacks on our right to vote — our most fundamental right, the right that guarantees us participation in the democratic process — increase in frequency and severity. From malicious executive orders to harmful legislative agendas, these attacks have one goal in mind: limiting the ability for Black communities and other eligible voters to choose their own representatives. The consequences of these attacks disproportionately impact Black and Brown, first-time, rural, and limited English-speaking voters.
These pernicious agendas have targeted mail-in voting and absentee ballot rules. They strive to close accessible polling places, forcibly pass voter ID restrictions, and dilute the voices of powerful voting communities through racially discriminatory redistricting.
Recently, Supreme Court rulings like Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich v. DNC have severely eroded the essential protections of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). Now, the Supreme Court is considering a case, Louisiana v. Callais, that could alter redistricting law and how people challenge racially discriminatory maps nationwide.
Just a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court allowed Texas’s unconstitutionally gerrymandered map that will severely harm Black and Hispanic voters to stay in place for the 2026 midterms.
It’s no secret that these efforts to dismantle critical voter protections are sending us backwards in time, undoing the progress of generations of voters determined to see our representative democracy live up to its name.
New Jersey needs an answer to this crisis. We need to protect our voters from threats that aren’t just at our doorstep, but that have already entered our homes.
Voting in New Jersey is not as easy as you might think. In various parts of our state, voters have consistently encountered obstacles to the ballot, barring them from a fair and equitable process.
As New Jersey’s three Black members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we understand the importance of fair access in the face of discrimination. We know that the answer to our national voting emergency lies not in turning our backs on the problem but in taking decisive action proven to benefit the people we serve.
So, what can New Jersey do?
We can pass a State Voting Rights Act that increases voter protections, fair representation, and access to the ballot, joining eight other states that have passed similar legislation, including New York, Connecticut, and Virginia. Luckily, our state legislature is considering a bill that would do just that — the New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act (A4083/S3009) will protect our communities from discrimination, even when the federal government fails to do so.
The NJVEA will ensure that all New Jersey voters have an equal opportunity to participate in our democratic process — particularly Black voters who have historically been denied equal opportunity and access. Full enfranchisement means all voters get a say in crucial decisions that affect their lives — a vote can create real change in communities’ representation, education systems, health care offerings, resource management, environmental practices, and more.
We are grateful to our colleagues in the state legislature for considering the New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act at this critical moment in time. This landmark legislation will expand assistance for voters with limited English proficiency; provide tools to challenge racial vote dilution and other discriminatory practices that strip voters of color of their political power; and ensure protections from intimidation at the polls for all voters, allowing them to vote in a safe environment.
New Jersey has this one opportunity to be a clear leader in protecting our voters from those who would do them harm. We have this incredible shot to build a democracy that is representative of all New Jersey voters.
All other rights stem from voting rights. If we lose our right to vote, we have no hope of full access to any other American right.
We must remember this as we continue the fight, in Washington, D.C., and in our Trenton statehouse, to protect every single voter from discrimination and to ensure that no voice is cast aside in our democracy.
Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Herb Conaway all represent New Jersey in the United States House, and currently comprise the state’s Black House delegation.