Bipartisan The group of candidates for New Jersey governor clearly agree on one thing: next year’s primary election should be rescheduled.
New Jersey election law sets the primary election for the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June, but the state Legislature has the power to change the date. Next year, this day will be June 3, which falls on the most significant Jewish holiday – Shavuot.
Shavuot next year starts at sunset on Sunday, June 1 and ends at night on Tuesday, June 3. The holiday celebrates the Ten Commandments, and some observant Jews study Jewish law all night long the first night as part of their celebration.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, former Democratic Rep. Steve Sweeney and Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick, all candidates for governor, signed a letter Monday addressed to state Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, both Democrats, urging the Legislature The state postponed its primary election to a later date “immediately” to maximize access to ballots in the state.
The contributors are taking part in a crowded race of nearly a dozen candidates vying to replace Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited.
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“We urge the New Jersey Legislature not to waste its time,” the letter reads. “… At a time when voters have more doubts than ever about the integrity of our elections, this is undoubtedly the right decision.”
On Monday, Scutari told reporters that the prospect of changing the date had been discussed, but he didn’t know “if we would do anything.” The case was reported by the New Jersey Globe.
“I’m not against change, but it can be difficult,” he said.
List of candidates following the release of another letter signed by more than 60 rabbis and nonprofit leaders calling for a change of date, claiming that overlapping dates would disenfranchise “a significant portion of our community”, Reported by Jewish Insider. Observant Jews are not allowed to drive, apply electronic devices, write or travel on Shavuot, Jewish leaders said, eliminating the question of voting.
The letter from the gubernatorial candidates notes that Maryland has passed a bill changing the date of this year’s primary elections to coincide with Passover and Ramadan.
Attempts to change this year’s primary election date in Pennsylvania to accommodate Passover have failed. Although mail-in voting is available to all registered voters in Pennsylvania elections, some Jewish leaders continued to express concerns about ballot access, such as when delays in Montgomery County left a miniature window for some Jews traveling for the holidays to vote.
Voters can too cast their votes post for any reason in New Jersey, but the candidates argued in their letter that the state should eliminate barriers to participation while also leaving the option of in-person voting on Election Day.
“The legitimacy of our democratic electoral system is based on the widest possible participation in elections,” the candidates wrote in the letter. “It is unacceptable that any group should have to choose between their religious practices and their right to vote.”
Jack Ciattarelli, another GOP candidate, also wrote a letter to legislative leaders, as well as Murphy, calling for changing the date to June 4. A spokesman for Murphy said he was open to working with legislative leaders on changing the date. “Polityka” reports.
“I think we can all agree that practicing one’s religion should never force anyone to exclude or limit in any way their ability to participate in our democracy,” Ciattarelli said in his independent writing.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Democrat, he told Jewish Insider that the state should consider changing the election day whenever there is a significant holiday for any group.
