NEW JERSEY — Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act into law on Thursday. The legislation aims to protect the rights of minorities in New Jersey to participate in elections.

The new law makes New Jersey the 10th state to pass its own state voting rights act and the first to enact such protections since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais. Legal scholars have stated this decision weakened a key provision of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The law seeks to prevent racial discrimination when voting districts are created, and it includes safeguards against voter suppression and intimidation.

The act helps ensure that ballots are fairly cast and counted, while also improving access to voting materials and assistance for residents who do not primarily speak English. It authorizes the state attorney general to fine government agencies up to $50,000 for using election methods that impair the equal opportunity of protected class members. Under the law, protected class members are defined as minority voters, and impairment is characterized as diluting the ability to elect candidates of choice or influence election outcomes.

Nuzhat Chowdhury, director of the Democracy & Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, described the signing. "This is an incredible win for New Jersey voters, especially Black, brown and other voters of color who have faced barriers to the ballot for generations, and a historic milestone for our state's democracy," Chowdhury said.

The U.S. Supreme Court declared Louisiana's 2024 congressional map unconstitutional in an April decision. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the 6-3 majority, stated that the country had advanced since the Voting Rights Act's enactment, noting a diminished racial gap in voter registration and turnout. This ruling requires anyone challenging a redistricting plan to prove that lawmakers were motivated by discriminatory purpose.

Some Republicans opposed the bill, calling it unnecessary and an overreach. State Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, a Republican from Sussex County, criticized the creation of a new enforcement apparatus. "This latest bill creates an entirely new voting rights enforcement apparatus in Trenton, giving unelected political appointees massive authority over elections across the whole state," Fantasia said. She added, "Now they can step in to override local decisions & dictate how your elections are run."

The Democratic-controlled state Legislature passed the bill largely along party lines. Governor Sherrill, a Democrat, affirmed her commitment to voting rights. "I'll keep fighting to protect your sacred right to vote," Sherrill said.

Why It Matters

The John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act establishes new state-level protections for voting rights in New Jersey following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that legal scholars say weakened a provision of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. New Jersey is the first state to enact such measures since the Louisiana v. Callais ruling, which altered the burden of proof for those alleging discriminatory redistricting. The act's provisions, including fines for government agencies and enhanced language access, reflect an effort to safeguard minority voting influence and participation.