1975 New Jersey Public Question 2

1975 New Jersey Public Question 2
4 November 1975
Shall Article 1 of the Constitution be amended, as agreed to by the Legislature, by the addition of the following paragraph? "20A. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex. The Legislature shall by law provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this paragraph."
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 828,290 48.83%
No 868,061 51.17%

1975 New Jersey Public Question 2, also known as the Equal Rights Regardless of Sex Amendment,[1] was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of New Jersey to prohibit the denial or abridgment of equal rights on account of sex. The amendment failed, receiving 48.83% of the vote, and the support of 9 out of 21 counties.

Background

The amendment was proposed as the federal Equal Rights Amendment was being debated.[2]

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 67 placed the amendment on the ballot. In the New Jersey Senate, the resolution was passed by a 32 to 1 vote.[3]

Discussion

  • State Senator Carol Bellamy: “There was such anxiety. So many women talked to had a sense that we wanted to take something away from them, some privilege or benefit that in most cases they don't really have.”
  • State Senator Karen S. Burstein: "It came down to a question of credibility. They'd say E.R.A. would mean unisex toilets. We'd say there was no way E.R.A. would mean unisex toilets. Well, if someone came away believing there was even a 1‐in‐100 chance of unisex toilets, then she'd vote against E.R.A.”[4]

Contents

PUBLIC QUESTION No. 2

EQUALITY OF RIGHTS OF WOMEN

Shall Article 1 of the Constitution be amended, as agreed to by the Legislature, by the addition of the following paragraph?

"20A. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex. The Legislature shall by law provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this paragraph."[5]

Results

County "Yes" vote "No" vote Yes % No %
Atlantic County 22,009 19,823 52.61 47.39
Bergen County 129,863 128,663 50.23 49.77
Burlington County 35,828 29,691 54.68 45.32
Camden County 57,771 42,209 57.78 42.22
Cape May County 10,648 10,390 50.61 49.39
Cumberland County 14,498 14,518 49.97 50.03
Essex County 72,707 74,916 49.25 50.75
Gloucester County 24,480 22,744 51.84 48.16
Hudson County 58,701 52,597 52.74 47.26
Hunterdon County 10,507 10,552 49.89 50.11
Mercer County 43,460 33,564 56.42 43.58
Middlesex County 66,141 72,874 47.58 52.42
Monmouth County 61,266 64,845 48.58 51.42
Morris County 46,432 57,487 44.68 55.32
Ocean County 34,289 42,614 44.59 55.41
Passaic County 33,448 54,018 38.24 61.76
Salem County 7,503 7,565 49.79 50.21
Somerset County 23,508 29,589 44.27 55.73
Sussex County 10,603 14,076 42.96 57.04
Union County 55,599 76,588 42.06 57.94
Warren County 9,029 8,738 50.82 49.18
State total 828,290 868,061 48.83 51.17[5]

References

  1. ^ "New Jersey Public Question 2, Equal Rights Regardless of Sex Amendment (1975)". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on November 2, 2025. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  2. ^ Laing, Mercedes A. (November 5, 1975). "Voter's in Jersey, New York, Defeat State-Wide ERA's". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on November 3, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Journal of the Senate of the State of New Jersey".
  4. ^ Greenhouse, Linda (November 6, 1975). "Defeat of Equal Rights Bills Traced to Women's Votes". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "State of New Jersey Results of the General Election Held November 4, 1975" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 4, 2025. Retrieved November 2, 2025.

See also

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