Assembly committee advances John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act after hours of testimony

The Assembly State and Local Government Committee voted to advance A4083, the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act (NJVEA), as amended after several hours of testimony from voting-rights advocates, immigrant groups and county election officials.

Supporters said the bill would create a state-level preclearance program, expand language access and provide new tools for voters to challenge policies that suppress turnout. "The NJVEA would build on work that New Jersey has already been doing to create an inclusive state democracy," said Nuzat Choudhary of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Choudhary told the committee the bill would increase resources for voters, strengthen protections against intimidation and establish a centralized elections database.

Alejandra Sorto of the ACLU of New Jersey said…