By Tyler Barth
State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco (R-25th Dist.) and Morris Freeholder Tom Mastrangelo have added their voices to the GOP chorus attacking Gov. Phil Murphy’s vote-by-mail directive, following a lawsuit this week by President Trump’s campaign contending such voting is unconstitutional.
“There’s no reason why voters can shop in a supermarket or wait hours on a line at a Murphy-led Motor Vehicle agency, and not be able to also spend a few minutes to cast their vote safely and securely on a machine, in-person, on Election Day,” Bucco said Thursday in a statement.
“The state constitution clearly states that general elections are to be scheduled the first Tuesday of November, and that date may only be altered by state law,” Mastrangelo said in a press release.
“The Governor, however, thinks the virus gives him near unlimited powers to disregard the law and decide for himself when and how the state will conduct its elections.”
On Tuesday, the president’s re-election campaign, the Republican National Committee and the New Jersey Republican Party sued Murphy and New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way, claiming the governor’s Aug. 14 executive order violates the 14th Amendment and the U.S. Constitution’s Electors and Elections Clauses.
Calling the order a “brazen power grab” and a “recipe for disaster,” the plaintiffs allege it will disenfranchise voters.
“Bring it on,” Murphy tweeted in response to the 37-page lawsuit. He accused the Trump campaign of waging “a full-throated propaganda campaign to undermine the election itself.”
Citing concerns for public safety during the coronavirus pandemic, Murphy last week announced the November 3, 2020, election will be conducted mostly by mail-in ballot, as was done in July.
Ballots postmarked by Election Day will be counted if they are received by Nov. 10. Ballots without postmarks will be deemed valid if county election officials receive them within 48 hours of the polls closing.
Every New Jersey town must open at least one polling place, and every county must ensure at least half of its voting locations are open, for citizens who prefer voting in person, the order mandates.
“This virus continues to threaten public health, and with today’s announcement, we are ensuring that New Jersey voters do not have to make a decision between exercising their right to vote and protecting their well-being,” the governor said last week.
Bucco warned of voter confusion, overwhelmed election officials, and delayed results if millions vote by mail. His son, a New York resident, received a primary ballot at the senator’s Boonton Township home, where he hasn’t resided for a decade, Bucco said.
The president has claimed voting by mail is ripe for fraud. As proof, Mastrangelo pointed to a judge’s ruling that a May council election in Paterson’s Third Ward must be redone. Eight hundred ballots were ruled invalid, and four men were charged with fraud, unauthorized possession of ballots, tampering with public records and falsifying or tampering with records.
Mastrangelo repeated last week’s call by the all-Republican Morris Freeholder board for in-person polling spread over several days, possibly with outdoor voting.
Gov. Murphy contends his Attorney General’s prosecution of the Paterson case proves the system works, and fraudsters will be caught.
On Friday, Aug. 21, activists plan noontime rallies at Convent Station and elsewhere across the state to oppose President Trump’s defunding of the Postal Service, which they view as an attempt to “sabotage” voting by mail.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a GOP campaign donor, said this week he will delay Postal Services cutbacks, including removal of collection boxes and mail processing equipment, until after the election. Timely delivery of election mail, he said, is “a sacred duty.”
DeJoy has defended Postal cuts as fiscally necessary. He is scheduled to testify Friday before a GOP-led Senate committee, and on Monday, Aug. 25, along with Postal Service Chairman Robert Duncan, before a Democratic panel in the House.
Correction: 190k total cases in NJ, 16k deaths. **8.5% fatality rate. Worldwide fatality rate dropping to around 3%. Something seems off.
190k total cases in NJ, 16k deaths. Less than 1% fatality rate. Worldwide fatality rate dropping to around 3%.
You have to re-register if you haven’t voted in 4 years. Why is he still listed as a registered voter?
Linda: why do you assume that Bucco and his son did not do what you suggested? He is illustrating the problem with the mail-in voting plan. Do you really think that everyone who receives a ballot at their home for someone who does not reside there, will do the right thing and return it to the Board of Elections? This is why the absentee ballot is available: for people who cannot vote in person. It would probably save a lot of taxpayer money as well since fewer ballots would need to be printed and mailed, and then counted.
People need to take personal responsibility for their own lives. The (nanny-)state can’t and shouldn’t be responsible for their lives.
Re: Bucco’s son: “His son, a New York resident, received a primary ballot at the senator’s Boonton Township home, where he hasn’t resided for a decade” 1- Bucco’s son should notify the Morris County board of elections that he has moved and 2- Bucco should return the unopened ballot to the county board of elections with the notation, NOT AT THIS ADDRESS.”
Manufactured “controversy” during a pandemic is pretty on-point for these people. Wasting taxpayer time and money with their little stunts.
No machine voting. Its provisional ballots. How can we be assured that our votes will be counted?
The don’t seem to understand fully the State plan for voting. There will be in-person voting, drop boxes and mail-in options. No one is being barred from standing in line.