Here's how New Jersey state leaders are protecting voters

TRENTON, N.J. - State leaders in New Jersey are taking measures to ensure a fair, transparent and secure election season.

Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way is the state’s chief election official, as she also serves as the Secretary of State.

During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, she said election integrity starts with voter education and trust.

"When we allow wrong information about our elections to undermine our confidence in the process, our trust in democracy and each other, that’s a form of voter suppression," said Lt. Governor Way.

State leaders acknowledge this election season has been met with speculation, misinformation in the form of deepfakes and concern over voter intimidation. 

Attorney General Matt Platkin said the State’s Voter Protection Initiative focuses on identifying voting rights or civil rights violations. 

"Election interference of any kind, whether it be related to mail-in ballot, early voting, election day voting, or the vote tabulation process will not be tolerated in New Jersey," said Platkin. "This includes any efforts to harass poll workers or harass and intimidate voters and any effort to electioneer in or just outside the polling place."

Platkin said hundreds of attorneys from the Division of Law and Department of Law and Public Safety will be working in shifts to answer emerging questions from County Boards and Superintendents of Elections to ensure all eligible voters can cast their ballot.

The NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) said there are currently no known civic threats to New Jersey which includes public election facilities and election officials.

"The focus during the pre-Election Day period is prevention and preparedness to maintain a secure election environment," said OHSP Director Laurie Doran. "Over the last decade, threats have proliferated mostly in the cyber realm, but also physical targets such as elected officials and election related facilities."

Doran said OHSP will work to identify and mitigate threats related to the elections which include both physical and cyber attacks that are either international or domestic in origin.

It was also noted that county election officials have undergone extensive training for both cyber and physical threats with an emphasis on threat detection and response protocols.

Security risk assessments have also been conducted at election facilities across New Jersey’s 21 counties.

Click here to visit the New Jersey election website to learn more about being a voter in the state.

To report suspicious or misleading election information you can email info@sos.nj.gov.

If you have been subject to discrimination or harassment in connection with voting you can report the issue to the NJ Division on Civil Rights.