#Voting #mail #paper #path #N.J #Letters
As famous in a Sept. 15 Star-Ledger article (“N.J. has expanded voting rights. But it still hasn’t taken steps to protect elections from claims of fraud”), New Jersey nonetheless depends totally on digital voting machines that don’t produce paper data that can be utilized in a handbook recount or and audit.
There’s a easy answer to the necessity for a replica paper path: voting utterly by mail. New Jersey applied almost common voting by mail (VBM) statewide within the 2020 election, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. VBM creates its personal paper path – the poll itself.
In keeping with the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures, eight states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington — conduct what are categorized as all-mail elections, with some restricted in-person choices. Ballots are mailed mechanically to all registered voters.
Many different states, together with New Jersey, allow VBM underneath sure circumstances.
Opposite to the fear-mongering from sure quarters, in none of those states has there been discovered any measurably improper voting. VBM is secure, safe and handy. It additionally has been discovered to extend voter turnout, which anybody who really values American democracy ought to help. To solid a poll, voters wouldn’t have to take day off from work, prepare for baby care, discover transportation or stand in line. VBM additionally ensures that voting can happen safely throughout pandemics or different crises.
The infrastructure for full VBM is actually in place. Let’s use it.
Robert Checchio, Dunellen
Pure fuel worth hike has rotten-egg odor
I learn lately that pure fuel provide payments in New Jersey might be growing by as much as 25%. This example is being blamed on greater worldwide pure fuel costs triggered by a scarcity in Europe, the place Russia has shut off a few of its pipelines.
Nevertheless, it ought to be identified that there isn’t a scarcity of pure fuel reserves in america. We’ve ample provide to final an estimated 50 to 100 years.
So, the the worldwide provide state of affairs shouldn’t influence American pure fuel provides. We’ve extra fuel than we will use, so, primarily based on home provide and demand, there ought to be no worth improve.
I consider the fuel utility firms are utilizing the Russian embargo as an excuse to revenue from the conflict in Ukraine. President Joe Biden ought to declare a worth freeze on pure fuel, since this improve seems to be artificially created.
Augustin Pegan, Riverdale
Lengthy look forward to decrease drug costs
President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Discount Act on Aug. 16, which incorporates provisions to decrease prescription costs.
However, many of those adjustments are delayed. For instance, the authority for Medicare to barter costs as a big quantity purchaser for some medicines received’t kick in till 2026. That’s greater than three years from now. And, solely a handful of the preferred medication might be lined till 2029, when the listing might be enlarged. That’s seven years from now!
The pharmaceutical trade has been robbing taxpayers for a lot of a long time, and can have extra time to determine loopholes to maintain doing it.
Right here is extra proof of plutocracy and capitalism. How can we get stuff like this on voters’ ballots for direct democracy to take cost?
Michael J. Meketen, Previous Bridge
Graham’s abortion invoice raises extra fears
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., lately launched a invoice to ban abortion nationally after 15 weeks of being pregnant. At a press briefing, Graham mentioned, “We should have a law at the federal level. If we (Republicans) take the House and Senate, I can assure you we’ll have a vote.”
If the GOP takes management of Congress, it’s potential they may make abortion of any form unlawful in America, even in circumstances of rape or incest, or to guard the lifetime of the mom (though Graham’s invoice permits these exceptions). Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said that with Roe v. Wade overturned, a nationwide abortion ban is feasible. That might put america, one of many world’s richest nations, in the identical league as third-world international locations like El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, the place abortion is totally banned.
It wouldn’t cease there. Rely on some within the GOP to attempt to ban contraceptive rights. Final week, Republicans threatened to filibuster Senate laws to codify same-sex marriage rights; consideration of the invoice has been postponed by Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
What would Republicans do in the event that they win the bulk in Congress? Would interracial marriage even be focused by them?
The midterm elections are on Nov. 8. Democracy and our rights are on the road. What is going to you do in 2022 to face up for them?
Dianne Douthat, Wayne
In the event that they’re previous the large 7-0, candidates should go
I agree with Paul Mulshine’s latest column, “A president in his 80s? It’s time for the ultimate term limit.”
As Mulshine states, Joe Biden (who’d be age 82 on Inauguration Day 2025) Biden and Donald Trump (who’d be 78 on the identical day) are too outdated to run in 2024.
How about Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who’s 82, and has represented her California district in Congress since 1987 — for 35 years?
I agree with Mulshine and a few latest ballot outcomes that we’d like an age restrict of 70 for any presidential nominee. We must also revive a push to restrict senators and Home members to 12 years of service.
Giovanni Carli, East Hanover
Ship migrant buses again with completely different passengers
Now that we now have Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doing their finest to out-Trump Donald Trump, by relocating migrants out of their states and utilizing them as political photo-ops and pawns, I’d wish to suggest a good commerce:
For each unlucky, harmless man, lady and baby who was lied to, tricked into boarding buses and planes, and dumped unannounced into places that weren’t anticipating them, the receiving communities ought to fill the buses and planes with all of their anarchists, racists and neo-Nazis for return journeys to Texas and Florida.
Bob Wojcik, Barnegat
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