The ability to vote is the most important right as it is the right through which citizens secure all other rights. In recent years doubts about whether every vote counts and is counted have grown to a high level. Unfortunately, many states including New Jersey still do not require a paper ballot record for every vote cast and routine random audits of electronic vote tallies. Just last week, New Jersey recertified the use of paperless, electronic voting machines.

While I continue to push for my legislation to establish a national standard requiring that all voters can have their votes recorded on paper and that every election provides for audits in randomly selected precincts, such a standard won’t be in place for November without administrative action.

I recently led an effort with 17 of my colleagues, urging U.S. Attorney General Holder to enlist the U.S. Department of Justice’s enforcement capabilities to ensure the integrity of voting systems and to make sure that votes are counted as cast.

Strengthening History Education in Central New Jersey

For reasons of economics, tourism, and state pride, New Jersey’s future is its past. In history, as with any school subject, one of the most important determinants of a student’s success is having a teacher with a deep appreciation, passion, and understanding of the subject matter.

As a result of a federal $946,425 grant, which the U.S. Department of Education awarded to Ewing Public Schools, 45 teachers from Central New Jersey will benefit from a professional development program. The Teaching American History Grants Program has helped raise student achievement by providing history teachers with new tools of content and technique which they can bring back to the classroom. More information on the program can be found here.

Listening to You

I continue to travel throughout Central New Jersey, talking with residents and hearing about their concerns. Recently I have met with members of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce in Old Bridge, seniors at Monroe Village, and members of the Red Bank Rotary Club.

I also met teachers and administrators at Spotswood High School, where we discussed the new emergency federal money to keep teachers in the classroom (as I wrote about in last week’s eGenda). Some of the teachers I met with were recently laid off, and they are hopeful that the funding will get them back in the classroom where they can work with students. The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance on the state application, giving New Jersey and other states the chance to apply for the funding and distribute it to school districts like Spotswood in the next few weeks.