Ocean County Assemblyman Ron Dancer says “the state must provide face masks for voters”
It didn't take long after Governor Phil Murphy announced this week that masks would be required for in-person voting at the polls in the primary election for Ocean County Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R) to toss out the red challenge flag.
On Thursday, Assemblyman Dancer announced that he is set to introduce a piece of legislation to protect your rights to vote in person.
“With all the talk about fair access to voting, one would think the governor would have provided a more reasoned response,” Dancer said in a statement. “We are already facing a poll worker shortage. Are they now supposed to act as the masking police and turn voters away? No one should be denied the opportunity to cast their ballot in person. If the state requires face masks for voting, the state must provide face masks for voters."
His legislation would require the state to supply face coverings at polling locations and voters would not be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Dancer also expressed his displeasure with the continuous executive orders made by Governor Murphy but cited that one of them allows people to decline to wear a face covering due to medical conditions.
"Those individuals are not required to provide documentation to support their claims," Dancer said.
He isn't the only lawmaker not happy with Governor Murphy's lack of transparency and overreach through executive orders, which give him sweeping executive powers over what happens in New Jersey.
Earlier this month, Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland County State Senator Mike Testa expressed his displeasure with the Murphy administration since last March.
"I just think this entire pandemic, especially in New Jersey, we have felt the heavy weight of an oppressive government. We have been ruled by executive order for over a year at this point in time," Testa said. "The Legislature has been taken out of the equation. We're supposed to be a separate but equal branch of government and Governor Murphy, in my opinion, is really drunk with his executive power and is not going to relinquish it anytime soon."
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