Rep. Chris Smith Votes Against Freedom To Vote Act

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — On Thursday, Middletown's Congressman, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ4) said he voted against the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act of 2021, known legislatively as HR 5746.

There are many parts of the bill, but one of its most controversial elements is that it would ban state photo ID laws. The bill would also require states to get permission from the federal government before they can change their local voting laws and do things like require voter ID.

The bill is meant to specifically take aim at states like Georgia and Texas, both of which require a photo ID to vote in person and via absentee ballot.

Congressman Smith, who represents many Monmouth and Ocean towns in Congress, said he supports voter ID.

“In order to enter federal buildings or the U.S. Congress, a person has to show a photo ID. If people can't go to the bank and cash a check — or even put money into a bank account — without an ID, then showing an ID to vote doesn't seem to be an unusual requirement," he said. "We should have that same respect for the integrity of the vote.”

Support for — or dislike of — the bill is split among party lines in Washington. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives this past August. The bill appears to have stalled in the Senate as of Friday.

The Freedom to Vote Act also establishes national standards for voting and would make Election Day a national holiday. The bill also grants the right to vote to convicted felons, and would overrule bans certain states have on ballot harvesting.

It would also mandate taxpayer-funded campaigns, ostensibly in the name of equity when it comes to seeking public office. Republicans argue this will give taxpayer dollars to candidates some would never dream of supporting.

The bill would also require states to automatically register people to vote from certain databases, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. However, in some U.S. states undocumented immigrants can get a driver's license, something that started being allowed in New Jersey in 2021. So they would be pulled onto voter rolls.

H.R. 5746 will also allow for same-day voter registration and early voting, but Congressman Smith again argued that would degrade the voting process, as it would remove "any serious process at the local level to verify the eligibility of the applicant to vote."

“The so-called ‘Freedom to Vote Act’ rammed through the House by Democrats seriously jeopardizes our sacred right to vote,” said Rep. Smith on Thursday.

He said the Freedom to Vote Act was written “under an egregiously false facade of reform" and would actually "nullify existing state laws requiring valid identification before registering to vote or casting a ballot."

President Joe Biden appeared in Georgia this week to say voter suppression is happening in Georgia because of their ID requirement. He called on Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, which was written by New York Sen. Chuck Schumer (D).

Smith represents the Fourth Congressional District, which covers nearly all of Monmouth County, including towns such as Holmdel, part of Middletown, Colts Neck, Rumson, Manalapan, Freehold, Red Bank and Wall Township. The Fourth District also reaches into Jackson and Lakewood in Ocean County and Hamilton and Robbinsville in Mercer County.

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