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Committee releases resolution honoring early New Jersey women voters
Summary
The State and Local Government committee released AR129, a resolution recognizing examples of women voting in early New Jersey history and urging protection of democratic rights; the measure was released unanimously after an Assemblywoman's historic remarks.
Assemblywoman Swain opened debate on AR129 by recounting early instances in New Jersey where certain women voted at polling places — notably a Montgomery Township polling place in 1801 — and called the moment "one of the most extraordinary moments in New Jersey's early democratic history." She told the committee those women "were participating openly, confidently, and fully in the democratic process more than a century before the nineteenth amendment."
The assemblywoman noted that the state later restricted suffrage in 1807 and framed the resolution as both an honor to those early voters and a reminder that rights can be expanded and rescinded. The committee then moved to release the resolution; a roll call produced affirmative responses from the members present and the clerk announced the resolution was released.
The release is procedural: the resolution recognizes historical facts and does not itself change policy or law. No amendments were offered during the meeting and no extended debate followed the assemblywoman's remarks. The committee adjourned after considering the day's bills.
