GGCNJ-advocated legislation is now signed into law! Thank you to all who helped make this happen!
History: A bill proposed by GGCNJ and the League of Women Voters of NJ (LWVNJ) to require candidates to supply a working email address when running for any elected office in New Jersey has been introduced in the State Legislature and has already been approved by the Senate.
Bill A3461 was introduced on Feb. 22 in the State Assembly by Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker (LD16), cosponsored by Assemblyman Raj Mukerji (LD33), and in the State Senate as companion bill S1974 by Senator James Beach (LD6), cosponsored by Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez (LD5).
On February 26, S1974 was reported out of the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee, chaired by Sen. Beach, by a 5-0 vote. The bill was approved by the full State Senate on March 26th, by a 30-8 vote (see role call below).
On March 5, A3461 was assigned to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee, chaired by Vincent Mazzeo (LD2). Thanks to calls and emails from GGCNJ members, the bill was scheduled for discussion in the April 5 meeting of the committee, at which point it was reported out of committee by a 4-0 (one not voting) vote. The bill was approved by the Assembly on June 7th by a 69-2 vote (see role call below).
This is truly a common-sense bill for accountability and transparency in the election process. It boggles the mind that in 2018, candidates do not have to provide a working email address so that voters can contact them. As the bill statement says: “This bill requires that a petition of nomination of a candidate for any State, county, school, or municipal elective public office must include a functioning e-mail address for the candidate. This addition to the nominating petitions of such candidates would enhance the voters’ access to those candidates, particularly first-time candidates, and allow voters and organizations to contact candidates’ campaigns” (emphasis added).
Role call for Senate vote on S1974:
Yes: Addiego, Bateman, Beach, Brown, Cardinale, Codey, Cryan, Cunningham, Diegnan, Doherty, Gill, Gopal, Gordon, Greenstein, Madden, Penacchio, Pou, Rice, Ruiz, Sacco, Scutari, Singleton, Smith, Stack, Sweeney, Thompson, Turner, Van Drew, Vitale, Weinberg
No: Bucco, Connors, Corrado, Holzapfel, Kean, O’Scanlon, Oroho, Singer
Not voting: Cruz-Perez, Sarlo
Role call for Assembly vote on S1974:
No: Space, Wirths
Not voting: Danielsen, Mazzeo, DiMaio, Mukherji, Sumter, DiMaso, Moriarty, Quijano, Timberlake