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NJ Public Question No. 4

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Parents

> United States > New Jersey > Public Questions > 2007 Public Questions > Right to Vote

Office

Constitutional Amendment

Honorific

Constitutional Amendment - Abbr:

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

00, 2007 - 12:00pm Central

Polls Open

November 06, 2007 - 05:00am Central

Polls Close

November 06, 2007 - 07:00pm Central

Term Start

November 07, 2007 - 12:00pm

Term End

December 31, 9999 - 12:00pm

Contributor

Mr. Matt

Last Modified

Mr. Matt October 03, 2012 05:45pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR CERTAIN PERSONS
Shall the amendment of Article II, Section I, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, agreed to by the Legislature, revising the current constitutional language concerning denial of the right to vote by deleting the phrase "idiot or insane person" and providing instead that a "person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting" shall not enjoy the right of suffrage, be adopted?

Interpretive Statement:
Approval of this amendment concerning the denial of the right to vote would delete the phrase "idiot or insane person" and replace that phrase with "person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting" in describing those persons who shall be denied the right to vote. The phrase "idiot or insane person" is outdated, vague, offensive to many, and may be subject to misinterpretation. This constitutional amendment acknowledges that individuals with cognitive or emotional disabilities may otherwise be capable of making decisions in the voting booth and that their right of self-determination should be respected and protected in this regard. The amendment only denies the right of suffrage to those individuals determined by a court, on a case-by-case basis, to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting.