New Jersey Governor Signs Bills Restoring Voting Rights To More Than 80,000 People
Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed a bill restoring voting rights to more than 80,000 people who are on probation or parole, making New Jersey one of several states to enact legislation granting former felons access to the ballot box.
Amid cheers at a public signing, Murphy said the law, which goes into effect in March 2020, ensures that a person can "once again walk into a voting booth and have a say in our democracy" upon their release from prison.
"These are residents who are living as full participants in their communities and yet have been needlessly prevented from having a voice in the future direction of their communities," Murphy added.
The governor also signed legislation that will allow residents with low-level drug and nonviolent offenses to have their records expunged if they do not commit another offense for 10 years. He said a task force will soon begin work on developing a free automatic system that will complete the expungements for individuals who meet the criteria.
"I am proud that we are giving New Jersey one of the most progressive expungement laws in the nation, allowing more people to fully participate in our society, in our economy," Murphy said.
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/18/789538148/new-jersey-governor-signs-bills-restoring-voting-rights-to-more-than-80-000-peop
