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http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp014x51hn278| Title: | Election protection report: Issues New Jersey voters encountered from October 15 through November 3, 2020 |
| Keywords: | Voting rights—New Jersey Vote-by-mail elections—New Jersey Voting—New Jersey Suffrage—New Jersey Election law—New Jersey—Administration |
| Issue Date: | Apr-2021 |
| Publisher: | New Jersey Institute for Social Justice |
| Place of Publication: | Newark, N.J. |
| Description: | New Jersey faced unprecedented challenges during the 2020 General Election. Tensions were high as election workers and voters prepared for one of the most politically charged elections in United States history. The COVID-19 pandemic had swept across the nation, taking and threatening the lives of many, and hit New Jersey particularly hard. By October, the State had documented more than 200,000 COVID-19 infections and more than 16,000 related deaths, while positive cases continued to rise. Against this backdrop, the State had to decide how to conduct a large-scale election—which traditionally involves congregating in tight spaces or crowded lines—safely and efficiently. Transforming election offices and polling places according to health and safety guidelines required additional resources for election administration, including staff, personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies. Voters needed a variety of voting options to make informed decisions about how and where to cast their ballots, in light of their health and risk tolerance. With each change in procedure, election officials had to educate the public and plan for alternatives in case of nearly inevitable administrative setbacks. Election officials worked tirelessly to assess and implement modified election procedures to safeguard public health and protect the right to vote. Some of these measures were stunningly successful. For example, the State launched a statewide online voter registration system in September 2020, and by the registration deadline on October 13, more than 400,000 people had used the system to register or update their registration. The State also instituted an expanded mail-in ballot system, issuing pre-paid postage mail-in ballots to all active registered voters in the State to allow them to cast ballots from the relative safety of their homes. For the first time, the State used secure ballot drop boxes, which became an increasingly popular option for voters to cast their ballots when confidence in the postal service waned. In response to postal concerns, the State extended its ballot receipt deadlines to prevent mail delays from disenfranchising voters. Local election officials had to process the influx of new registrations and mail out millions of ballots, virtually simultaneously. They made tough decisions about which polling places would remain open for in-person voting on Election Day. They recruited new poll workers to prevent a critical shortage of volunteers at the polls. They screened and counted an overwhelming number of mail-in and provisional ballots under tight deadlines. The list of responsibilities goes on. In the face of these many challenges, election workers administered a safe and sound election. Overall, New Jersey voters appeared to adapt well to the changes in election procedure. They cast a historic number of ballots—4.6 million in total. Voter turnout increased 9.4% from the 2016 to the 2020 General Election, the eighth largest increase in the nation. Despite unsupported concerns about voter fraud fueled by political commentary, the election was secure and the public had every reason to trust the verified results. Without diminishing the overall success of the election in the face of unprecedented challenges, the New Jersey Election Protection Coalition also documented some significant issues that warrant further attention. Some of these issues were likely caused or exacerbated by the rapidly evolving health crisis. For example, swift changes in election procedures, combined with other consequences of COVID-19—such as a shortage of experienced poll workers, the consolidation of polling locations, and higher than normal numbers of voters experiencing medical emergencies—created administrative challenges that overburdened elections officials and affected whether and how voters cast ballots. However, recurring issues from past elections—such as poll worker mistakes and long lines and late openings at polling places—were again evident in this election cycle. To improve our election system, election officials and advocates must examine both unusual and recurring issues that voters encountered exercising the franchise. This report presents and analyzes issues that arose during the 2020 General Election and recommends reforms that can help sustain the improvements made in response to COVID-19 and further strengthen the right to vote in New Jersey. |
| URI: | http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp014x51hn278 |
| Related resource: | https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/njisj/pages/698/attachments/original/1619548821/Election_Protection_Report_-_FINAL.pdf?1619548821 |
| Appears in Collections: | Monographic reports and papers (Publicly Accessible) |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election_Protection_Report_-_FINAL.pdf | 1.97 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Download |
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