KZG’s Jeannine LaRue & Beth Dohm Help to Achieve Legislation Modernizing New Jersey Elections
On April 17th, Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 2014 into law, establishing Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) in New Jersey. AVR occurs when eligible citizens, who interact with certain government agencies, are registered to vote or have their existing registration information updated, unless they decline. State agencies then transfer voter registration information electronically to election officials. These changes create a process that will clean up the voter rolls and keep our elections safe and secure.
On behalf of our client, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME), KZG’s Jeannine LaRue and Beth Dohm led and developed legislative efforts to ensure the passage and enactment of A-2014, which was sponsored in the Assembly by Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19), Gary Schaer (D-36), Tim Eustace (D-38), Joann Downey (D-11), Daniel Benson (D-14), Benjie Wimberly (D-35), John McKeon (D-27), Mila Jasey (D-27), Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D-31), Shavonda Sumter (D-35), Herb Conaway (D-7), and in the Senate by Senators Joseph Vitale (D-19) and James Beach (D-6). Jeannine and Beth coordinated efforts with several voting rights organizations, state agencies, legislators, and the Governor Office, which helped to achieve passage of this groundbreaking legislation.
Upon signing the bill, Governor Murphy called the legislation, “One of the most expansive Automatic Voter Registration policies in the nation, strengthening and enhancing voting rights for eligible New Jersey residents.” Assembly Speaker Coughlin added, “Today is a great day for democracy in New Jersey. Today we affirm New Jersey’s belief in access to voting, and today we affirm that we believe in greater participation in the democratic process. Automatic voter registration is a non-partisan solution to ensuring that American democracy is secure”
Under New Jersey’s law, eligible residents will automatically be registered to vote when they apply for a permit, driver’s license, or non-driver ID card at a Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) office, unless they specifically opt out. The MVC’s Chief Administrator is required to ensure that all information necessary for voter registration is collected and promptly transmitted electronically to the Secretary of State. Additionally, the bill expands automatic voter registration to any other state agency that collects proof of voter eligibility, as verified by the Secretary of State. Upon the Secretary’s approval, the agency may implement automatic voter registration for eligible individuals. The agency must comply, as determined by the Secretary, with the procedures for automatic voter registration established in the bill for the MVC.
New Jersey becomes the 12th state, along with the District of Columbia, to enact automatic voter registration, joining a national trend in trying to boost voter participation in elections, while seeking to secure and modernize our election system.
At the event celebrating the bill’s official signing, Secretary of State Tahesha Way marked the importance of this initiative in not only improving the registration system to expand participation, but also to ensure accuracy and electoral security, “Voter registration rolls should contain the most up-to-date voter information, and automatic voter registration should help accomplish that. We will have better updated and upgraded voter registration rolls which will lead to the filing of less provisional ballots and ultimately more efficient elections across the board.”
