38th district legislators share concerns over election date

Lawmakers from the 38th legislative district said they’re concerned next year’s June 3 primary date will prevent observant Jewish voters from accessing the ballot box because of its overlap with the Shavuot holiday.

State Sen. Joseph Lagana (D-Paramus), Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn), and Assemblyman Christopher Tully (D-Bergenfield) said in a statement Tuesday that no voter should lose the right to vote because of religion. The trio did not specify what adjustments they’d like to see but said they’ll work with other legislators to ensure all voters have access to the polls.

“In recent days, we have received outreach from our constituents expressing concern over the upcoming primary election date, which coincides with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot,” the legislators said in a release. “As elected officials committed to ensuring that every eligible voter in New Jersey has the opportunity to fully participate in our democratic process, we share these concerns that this overlap presents a significant barrier for many Jewish voters in our state.”

Jack Ciattarelli on Tuesday joined five other gubernatorial candidates in calling for the primary to be rescheduled. 

Senate President Nick Scutari said on Monday there have been talks of moving the date of next year’s primary election, but it’s still unclear what actions might be taken.

A group of Jewish leaders wrote a letter to state officials last week asking to reschedule the primary election because it falls on the same day as Shavuot, a holiday during which observant Jews are not permitted to use electronic devices, write, drive, or travel. Scutari said Gov. Phil Murphy has discussed adding additional days of early voting, but said it could be hard to change the date.

The primary election is on Tuesday, June 3, and Shavuot ends at sundown, 9:14 p.m.