Montclair State University students voting at Mount Hebron Middle School.
Some Montclair State University students and professors say a flyer mailed to Little Falls residents by a local Republican group is bigoted.
The ad, which is illustrated with pictures of mostly non-white women–some wearing Muslim veils, and a few non-white men, states: “Warning…Thousands of students have been registered to vote.” They could “change the outcome of the election.”
“Let’s send the democratic machine a clear message! NOT IN OUR TOWN! Leave our local politics and government to our town residents who know the issues and candidates, not part-time residents,” reads the advertisement.
“Their reaction doesn’t make sense,” said an MSU student voting at Mount Hebron Middle School this morning. “Earlier this year the school passed out voter registration cards, because how else are we going to vote when we’re far away from home?
Yianni Floropoulos, professor of political science and law at MSU, described the ad as offensive toward women and minorities. He believes the flyer violates state and federal laws against voter harassment and intimidation, and has reported the incident to the New Jersey elections board.
Asked about the advertisement, MSU spokeswoman Suzanne Bronski told NorthJersey.com:
“On Election Day, voters across the nation will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote, one of the most important and fundamental rights afforded to us in our democracy. College students throughout New Jersey have the option to register to vote from their college addresses.” She declined to elaborate.
The advertisement was removed from the Little Falls Republicans website yesterday. Baristanet has contacted the Little Falls Republicans for comment and will update the story as needed. Here’s the flyer:
Last night President Barack Obama gave his first State of the Union address of his second term. Below are some talking points:
