JACKSON – Township officials passed a resolution strongly encouraging the right of in-person machine voting for the Nov. 3 general election.
Officials and residents provided words of support for the resolution noting that the governor’s primarily mail-in balloting system based on the COVID-19 pandemic will present problems and will severely limit the number of polling places.
Numerous communities across the state have introduced similar resolutions promoting the importance of in-person voting and expressing concerns over mail in voting accuracy.
Mayor Michael Reina said of the resolution, “The last time I looked, this is the United States of America but we are now being told we can’t vote. We can’t shop. We can eat in a parking lot and be happy about it. It makes no sense.”
The mayor who has been a vocal critic of Gov. Phil Murphy’s handling of the pandemic conditions imposed on businesses and residents added, “this year the vote may be the most important vote of our lives. The governor right now is probably walking on very thin ice on some of these executive orders. It seems we are being conditioned for something worse.”
He thanked Sen. Mike Doherty (R-23rd) for “keeping a fine line on him.” He added that he hoped the lawmaker would be successful in his effort to bring back the normal election process.
Doherty said earlier in the month that the state Constitution doesn’t authorize Gov. Murphy to issue an Executive Order that unilaterally changes the manner in which voters will cast their ballots on Nov. 3. The senator said that there was no legitimate reason for the governor to deny people the right to cast their votes.
Reina agreed with Doherty that Murphy’s use of Executive Order 177 which directs the general election in November to be held almost fully by mail would first need to be approved by the Legislature and accomplished through the enactment of a statute. Doherty called for the governor to explain how he feels he could unilaterally modify or suspend a number of statutes with legislative approval.
Mayor Reina added, “this country wasn’t built on the fear of the backs of men and now we have women in the military so it is not out of fear by women as well. We should not fear anything. We should not fear the flu.”
“I think businesses need to be open and we need to get on with our lives. I encourage each and everybody including council to write letters to the governor and tell him it is time to reopen the state of New Jersey. Let us decide where we want to go when we want to go and how we want to go about it,” the mayor said.
“Enough is enough. The numbers are supposed to be driving the data. The numbers are supposed to be driving the data and everyday it is something different whether it is coming out of the federal government or if it is coming out of the state. Everybody is confused,” Reina said.
He said no one knows what to do but added, “we should not live in fear. The vote is very important.”
Resident and council candidate Nino Borelli commented on the resolution saying, “I think it will protect the integrity of our electorial system in Jackson. We have a mail-in system right now for those who want to do that but we have the right to vote first-hand without the state government dictating otherwise. All polling places should be available for them to vote. Not just 50% or less capacity for them to vote.”
The resolution was unanimously passed. Council President Andrew Kern went so far as to add “every bit of my heart, yes.”
The resolution stated the Jackson Council was gravely concerned with the predominant use of mail in balloting during the 2020 election.
Resident Joseph Sullivan also commended the governing body for the resolution for “protecting our right to vote. It is so important we have the right to vote and have our vote counted and if all our votes are done through the mail there is no guarantee that our votes will be counted. This country has gone through many tragedies and even other pandemics and the right to vote was never infringed during any of them and it shouldn’t be now.”
