On August 27th, residents with disabilities and their families will have an opportunity to meet the Democratic Party and Republican Party candidates for New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District. Representative Frank Pallone, Democrat and his Republican challenger, Rich Pezzullo also will discuss those issues that are important for people with disabilities and their supporters. The 6th Congressional District is made up of 32 municipalities in Middlesex and Monmonth counties.
“Every midterm election is important and this year’s is no exception,” says Carole Tonks, Executive Director of the Alliance Center for Independence, a non-profit organization that assists people with disabilities in Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties and chief organizer of the forum. “The next congress will take up many issues, and this event is our attempt to ensure that the priorities of 56 million disabled people are sufficiently addressed.”
On Monday, July 16th, REV UP NJ hosted the 3rd annual National Disability Voter Registration Week Kickoff at the State House Annex in Trenton. This event, attended by disability and voting rights organizations, disabled self-advocates, Midterm candidates, NJ legislators, and members of the community, celebrated the power of the disability vote while encouraging increased voter turnout.
Represented at this event were many disability and voting organizations including AAPD, NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities, the League of Women Voters, National Disability Institute, Division of Disability Services, NJ Citizen Action, Disability Rights New Jersey, and TCNJ Center for Complex and Sensory Disabilities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Carole Tonks, Executive Director, Alliance
Center for Independence Phone: (732) 738-4388 / E-mail: ctonks@adacil.org
Website: www.adacil.org
This Tuesday, November 7th, NJ voters will go to the polls to elect our state’s 56th governor. “New Jerseyans will make an important choice this election day, and we have been working to ensure that voters with disabilities are well informed about the candidates and are able to participant fully in the election process,” says Carole Tonks, Executive Director of the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI).
Nearly 10% of the state population identify as having a disability.
