Even as the President continued to push false claims on the 2020 election and seeks to restrict access to voting by citizens forcing people to have certain kinds of documents to register, New Jersey and several other states have strengthened protections for voting.
Many New Jersey residents, United States citizens, are overseas, including troops from our state. The Republican National Committee is challenging the New Jersey voting law that permits our citizens who are abroad their voting rights. Are we to deny our soldiers and their families from their voice in our democracy? We would hope not.
Claims that voting by mail or by machine creates the possibility of non-citizen voting is simply not true. If you’re not registered, you won’t even get the possibility of a mail-in ballot. I remember taking an 89-year old Salvadoran, who had just been naturalized, to the local registrar and watching him in tears registering to vote. “My father was killed because he wanted to vote. Now I can avenge his death not with a bullet but by voting.” He died shortly afterwards, but not before he cast his vote that November.
Prayer for the Day
Given a sacred right and duty, O God,
We cast our votes in this, our democracy;
So many others have died for this right given us,
Let us continue to eat of the fruit of the ballot.
Hold us, O Lord, to our promise given to every citizen,
To shape our American landscape.
In the name of the One who is our counsel,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
It’s important to keep in mind who the New Jersey law is impacting,” Chowdhury said. “It tends to be military members, other U.S. citizens overseas, and children of members of the military.
Nuzhat Chowdhury, NJ Institute for Social Justice
Tonight seems to be the ceremonial kickoff of President Trump’s campaign to interfere in the November election
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
The Lord loves those who hate evil; God guards the lives of the faithful;
The Lord rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
Psalm 97: 10-11