Governor Christie set off wave of disappointment across state with his veto of NJ voting reforms | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

New Jersey just had the lowest Election Day turnout in its history – with just one out of five voters bothering to show up – so the governor figures he might as well make it harder for people to vote. His veto of the Democracy Act Monday was another predictable strike in Gov. Christie’s campaign for…

TRENTON — Barely 26 hours after Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill intended to overhaul New Jersey’s voting system and boost voter participation, Democratic lawmakers from both chambers met in a rare joint caucus to chart a new course. The bill, called the Democracy Act, would make voter registration automatic upon applying for a driver’s license…

The Anti-Defamation League expressed disappointment in Governor Christie’s veto of “The Democracy Act,” calling it an “unnecessary barrier” to the ballot. New Jersey currently ranks 39th in the country in both percentage of eligible voters who are registered and percentage of voters who actually cast a ballot. The state does not allow in-person early voting and…