Many New Jersey lawmakers have fought to make it easier to vote.

And there has been considerable progress in terms of voter access and information.

Voter registration has been made easier, with forms available online that can be printed and mailed with pre-paid postage. he public can even register to vote or change their voting address at the !ivision of Motor Vehicles.

"tate law has mandated that #ounty #lerks must have Vote by Mail $allots available to the public %& days prior to 'lection !ay. And please do not be confused by the name Vote by Mail because the public can walk into their #ounty #lerk(s )ffice and apply for a ballot in person and then hand their ballot to the $oard of 'lections to be counted.

*rior to +,,-, voters needed an e.cuse to Vote by Mail /i.e. sick or incapacitated, military, the nature and hours of work, schooling0 and they had to check the bo. ne.t to the e.cuse that applied to them. oday, Vote by Mail $allots are accessible to all registered voters and an e.cuse is not needed.

The unqualified qualification of Steve Lonegan

1ov. #hris #hristie cleverly arranged for two "pecial 'lections to fill "enator 2autenberg(s une.pired term rather than include the election for "enate on the Nov. & general election ballot. he first "pecial 'lection, a mid-August *rimary, resulted in the second lowest voter turnout for a *rimary in New Jersey(s electoral history, a mere -3.

New Jersey is a closed *rimary state. his means that only registered 4epublicans and registered !emocrats are able to be candidates for office on the *rimary ballot. 5n addition, the only voters who are eligible to participate in their respective *rimary 'lections are registered 4epublican voters and registered !emocratic voters.

)f the more than &.% million New Jersey voters, 6.7 million are registered !emocrats and 6.,% million are registered 4epublicans. Nearly half of New Jersey(s registered voters /+.8 million0 are 9naffiliated /voters who are registered without a political party affiliation0.

Voters who are registered as 9naffiliated can choose to vote in a *rimary 'lection, but they have to choose which :party; primary they would like to vote in and then immediately become a member of that political party.

he 4epublican and !emocratic political parties have a ma<or advantage in our political process, but there is a state statute /N.J.".A. 6-=6+-60 that certifies and >ualifies political parties for :superior; ballot position on the 1eneral 'lection ballot.

5n order to >ualify for an opportunity to appear in a superior ballot position ? at the top two ballot positions /A and $0 ? both the 4epublican and !emocratic *arty candidates at the *rimary 'lection must receive at least 6,3 /+&-,77@0 of the total number of votes cast at the last 1eneral 'lection where members of the 1eneral Assembly were candidates for office /5n the Nov. A, +,66, 1eneral 'lection, +,&-7,7+& votes were cast0.

New Jersey(s "ecretary of "tate erroneously certified that the 4epublican candidates "teve 2onegan and Alieta 'ck received the re>uired minimum votes /greater than 6,3 minimum of +&-,77@ votes0 when in reality they only received a total of 6@,,@%, votes.

he four !emocratic "pecial *rimary candidates >ualified comfortably with a total of @87,77A votes.

'ugene Martin 2aVergne, who was an 5ndependent candidate for 9.". "enate at the "pecial 1eneral 'lection held on Bednesday, )ct. 68, filed a challenge to the decision of the "ecretary of "tate, but it was too late, being that ballots for the )ct. 68 'lection had already been printed.

Mr. 2aVergne(s contention was that Mr. 2onegan and the 4epublican *arty did not >ualify for a :superior; ballot position based on state law. Cis argument followed that #ory $ooker should have been awarded the top ballot position /2ine A0 in all +6 counties and, due to the fact that Mr. 2onegan(s political party did not >ualify for a chance at the top two ballot positions /2ines A or $0, he should have been placed in a random draw for ballot position with the other si. 5ndependent candidates for 9.". "enate.

he 9.". "enate "pecial 1eneral 'lection held on Bednesday, )ct. 68 achieved the distinction of being New Jersey(s lowest ever voter turnout /+%30 for a 1eneral 'lection.

Need for change

here are +, states that have some form of :open; primary. "outh #arolina is among the most open, where all registered voters, no matter their party affiliation, can vote in whatever primary they choose. he argument against this process is that you create the opportunity for registered !emocrats to vote in the 4epublican *rimary and vice versa <ust to cause :mischief; and vote for whom they consider to be the :inferior; candidate.

#alifornia(s open primary even allows 5ndependent candidates to run on the *rimary ballot alongside 4epublican and !emocratic candidates. he top two vote-getters then face off in the 1eneral 'lection, even if it(s a scenario of 4epublican vs. 4epublican or !emocrat vs. !emocrat.

New Campshire(s semi-open primary strikes the right compromise. he people of New Campshire have great pride in being the first *rimary 'lection of the *residential campaign. his pride led to the opening up of their *rimary system to allow 9naffiliated voters to voice an opinion in the nominating process while not having to become a member of a political party, while registered 4epublicans and registered !emocrats can only vote in their respective primaries. his system not only preserves the political party primary but increases voter interest and turnout.

Be should cast our vote, not as our debt to society, but for our love of America.

#hristopher J. !urkin

'sse. #ounty #lerk