New Jersey drops ‘so help me God’ oath for candidate filings

Published November 15, 2023 10:34 AM

The Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is dropping its requirement that candidates for office sign an oath that includes the words “so help me God” in filing paperwork for their candidacy. NJ.com reports that the state Division of Elections is no longer requiring candidates to sign that oath, allowing them to make “a solemn affirmation or declaration” instead. The state was being sued by James Tosone, a 70-year-old northern New Jersey man who said he plans to run for Congress in 2024 as a Libertarian. But as a nontheist, he said, he cannot sign part of the petition including a religious oath.

Article Topic Follows: AP-National

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