We opposed (S92), which was substituted for (A2815) because it permitted overseas voters to register or request ballots for ALL elections and it allowed overseas voters to vote in ANY election. Although the bill passed the Assembly, Governor Christie issued a conditional veto on December 5, 2016, noting among other things:
- An endorsement of the language that expands the definition of overseas voters to include spouses, civil union partners, domestic partners and dependents of military service members as well as foreign-born United States citizens;
- Concerns with the bill’s proposal to permit all overseas voters to vote in New Jersey state and local elections regardless of the intention to return to the United States.
- Concerns that the bill would provide “virtually unfettered discretion to local election officials to determine which mistakes, omissions, and technical errors disqualify an election document.”
- The bill, as written, would allow the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot to simultaneously be used by an overseas voter to register to vote, apply for a ballot and to case a vote, creating a significant administrative burden and the potential for voter fraud.
Governor Christie’s recommendations for S92 were unanimously adopted by the Senate on February 13, 2017.