Boycott The Election? Morris County Officials Say Don't Do It

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - Morris County Freeholder Director Deborah Smith is urging registered voters to actively participate in the predominately vote-by-mail election ordered by Governor Phil Murphy this fall, explaining that no one should be dissuaded from casting a ballot because they lack confidence in the vote-by-mail system.

“We share the concerns expressed by many voters about the mail-in voting plan. That is why our board adopted a resolution two weeks ago urging the Governor to allow for some form of in-person, machine voting to accompany the mail-in option. But the Governor has not changed his order, and no one is served if citizens abdicate their right to vote in protest. Get out there and vote, please,” Smith said.

The Freeholder Director read a statement at the board’s public meeting Thursday, re-iterating the board’s Aug. 12 call on Governor Murphy to provide some form of in-person balloting, including setting up voting machines at town halls for several days leading up to the Nov. 3 election to avoid lines. She also issued a rebuke to some critics who distorted the intent of the board’s Aug. 12 resolution.

“This freeholder board called on the Governor to allow for freedom of choice in voting. That’s it. We asked that voters be free to vote for the candidates they want, and to be free to choose how they cast their ballots. Many people want the privacy of casting their ballots in voting machines," Smith said. "That will not happen in a pure mail-in-vote election. Our resolution did not try to stop voters from using mail-in voting. Our resolution did not try to force anyone to vote in person if they did not want to."

Smith did not note that voters will still be able to vote in person by a provisional ballot, maintain privacy by filling out a ballot and either using a drop box or delivering it in person at the polls. Those options are available to voters.

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