New Jersey Signs John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act Into Law
Landmark legislation expands voting rights protections, language access and safeguards against voter suppression across the Garden State.
TRENTON — New Jersey took a significant step toward expanding and protecting voting rights when Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act into law.
The landmark legislation, sponsored by Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, aims to strengthen voting rights protections throughout the state by expanding ballot access, increasing safeguards against voter suppression and discrimination, improving language accessibility, and enhancing oversight of election practices.
Known as Bill A1715, the measure makes New Jersey the 10th state in the nation to enact a state-level Voting Rights Act, providing protections that supporters say exceed those offered under current federal law.
“It’s time for states to step up to protect voting rights,” Reynolds-Jackson, D-Hunterdon and Mercer, said in a statement. “New Jersey has a clear mandate to not only protect but expand voting rights for Black voters and other voters of color who are disproportionately harmed by discriminatory practices and barriers to voting.”
The legislation is named in honor of the late civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis, whose lifelong advocacy for voting rights helped shape national efforts to protect access to the ballot box.
Raymond Tyler
Reynolds-Jackson praised the bill’s passage as a milestone for democracy in New Jersey.
“Today, New Jersey joins the growing movement of state voting rights acts,” she said. “By passing our own voting rights law, we are making sure that New Jersey voters—especially Black and other voters of color—are protected more by our state law than by federal law.”
Before the bill’s final passage, Reynolds-Jackson delivered an impassioned speech on the Assembly floor highlighting the importance of safeguarding voting rights and ensuring equitable access to elections.
Raymond Tyler
Among its key provisions, the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act expands language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency, strengthens protections against voter suppression and vote dilution, and creates a centralized public database containing election information from across the state.
The law also establishes guiding principles designed to remove unnecessary barriers to voter registration and participation while prohibiting unlawful discrimination in the electoral process. Supporters say the measure will help promote fair and equitable access to voting for racial, ethnic and language-minority communities throughout New Jersey.
Raymond Tyler
The legislation received support from a broad coalition of civil rights, voting rights and civic engagement organizations that argued stronger state-level protections are needed as federal voting rights safeguards continue to face legal and political challenges. Advocates said the measure will help ensure that all eligible voters, regardless of race, ethnicity, language or ZIP code, have an equal opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
Supporters of the legislation view its enactment as one of the most significant voting rights measures adopted in New Jersey in recent years and a major step toward expanding voter access and strengthening public confidence in the state's electoral system.
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