New Jersey Assembly To Vote Remotely Via Phones

Politico reports:

New Jersey lawmakers will make history Wednesday when members of the General Assembly will call into a conference line to cast their votes remotely on several bills related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kevin McArdle, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin [photo], said the bills will be announced over the phone and that each member will be called on to respond to vote. The session is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. It’s the first time the 80-member chamber won’t be physically gathering to cast votes in person, McArdle said.

That will make the vote tallying process longer than for in-person sessions, where members press buttons to cast their votes electronically. But the session should not last too long, as there are only five bills scheduled to be heard.