On July 2, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) signed legislation making New Jersey the 11th state to enact a state-level voting rights act.
Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting nationwide, some states have enacted state-level voting rights acts. The provisions of these laws vary, but they generally include policies that mirror or expand on the federal Voting Rights Act. Those policies apply to local governments in the state.
Assembly Bill 1715 prohibits the use of voting policies that result "in a denial or abridgement of the right of members of a protected class to vote."
