Tovah Powers Up the Vote with a Day of Community Action
Roseland, NJ, – Sept. 16, 2026 – As the fall election season kicks off, Tovah brought together members of the community for a day of action on Sept. 15 at the Livingston Senior Community Center. Tovah’s seventh annual Power Up the Vote, held this year on National Voter Registration Day, focused on voting methods and, importantly, getting people to the polls.
“Voting rights have been central to Tovah’s advocacy work for decades, and it has never been more important to exercise our rights and cast a ballot,” said Lauren Tabak Fass, president of Tovah. “Power Up the Vote is just one way we engage and educate voters about how to make our elections work better. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of democracy and provide the foundation for everything else we do to advance change for women, children and families.”
Leaders from Voter Choice New Jersey spoke about ranked choice voting and how it creates more political choice in our elections. Ranked choice was put to the test as participants sampled a variety of desserts, then voted for their favorite using ranked choice. Not surprisingly, chocolate won the day as chocolate chip cookies and chocolate crumb cake came out on top for attendees.
Power Up the Vote then turned to getting out the vote. Attendees wrote letters to hundreds of newly registered voters in Pennsylvania, encouraging participation in November’s elections.
Tovah works to increase civic engagement in New Jersey, countering efforts to exclude individuals from the electoral process. The recent passage of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey protects against voter suppression and discrimination and ensures voters of color and other minorities have equitable access to the voting process. With the weakening of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, this law is an example of how states can protect our right to vote.
Tovah is a 501(c)(3) organization and Power Up the Vote is focused on nonpartisan voter engagement activities.
Power Up the Vote co-sponsors included: Congregation B’nai Israel, B’nai Shalom, Temple B’nai Abraham, Temple Beth Shalom, Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, Temple Sinai, Brady United Against Gun Violence New Jersey, ceasefirenj, Hadassah, Impact 100 Essex, League of Women Voters (Livingston, Montclair Area, Maplewood and South Orange), Moms Demand Action, Newark Community Street Team, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, NCJW Bergen County Section, NCJW West Morris Section, National Organization for Women.
About Tovah
Tovah, formerly known as NCJW/Essex, is a community of Jewish women who connect, volunteer and advocate. Tovah is an inclusive, member-driven organization united by a deep commitment to service and advocacy. We work together to deliver positive impact for clients, partners and communities of all backgrounds. For more information, visit www.tovah.org
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