Food Justice Is on the Ballot: Make Your Voice Heard in the November 3 General Election

When you buy eggs, check the price of apples, or watch farmland become a new development, voting may not be the first thing on your mind. Yet public decisions help shape what food costs, where it is available, and how the people who grow, harvest, and pack it are treated.

The next general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. In New Jersey, the deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, October 13. This is an opportunity to help choose the people who will make decisions affecting our food system, workers’ rights, and communities.

Food justice means everyone can access nutritious, affordable, culturally familiar food—and that the workers who feed our communities can earn fair wages and work safely. Our votes help determine whether elected officials make these priorities part of their work.

This November, New Jersey voters will choose representatives for all 12 of the state’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one U.S. Senate seat. These officials help shape national priorities and decisions affecting health care, immigrants’ rights, civil liberties, and our communities’ future. Understanding which offices are on your ballot—and what each candidate stands for—helps you vote with your values in mind.

Campaign promises can feel far removed from everyday life. But after an election, those promises can become budgets, policies, and decisions that affect our families. Elected officials influence funding for school meals and food assistance, protections for agricultural land, and investments in community gardens and local food programs. Local leaders also make decisions that can expand access to grocery stores and fresh produce.

For workers, the stakes are just as real. The officials we elect can strengthen workplace protections, support enforcement against wage theft, and address dangerous working conditions. Food access and workers’ rights belong in the same conversation: a fair food system must care for both the families buying food and the people producing it.

At CATA, our food justice and workers’ rights organizing brings community experiences into these conversations. We know that lasting change takes people speaking up, organizing together, and holding decision-makers accountable. Voting is one important part of that work.

Before casting your ballot, ask: What will these candidates do to make healthy food more accessible? How will they protect farmworkers and other food workers? Will they listen to the communities most affected by their decisions?

Make your voting plan now:

• Register by October 13: Check your registration status or register to vote.

• Vote early in person: New Jersey’s early voting period runs from October 24 through November 1.

• Vote on Election Day: Polls will be open on November 3, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Consider voting by mail: Your county clerk must receive your mailed ballot application by October 27. You can also apply in person at your county clerk’s office until 3 p.m. on November 2.

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For more information about voting options, polling locations, and your voting rights, visit the ACLU of New Jersey’s Election Guide.

Learn about the candidates and encourage eligible friends and family members to participate, too. If you cannot vote, your voice still matters through community organizing, public meetings, and advocacy.

Access to healthy food is a right. So are dignity and safety at work. Together, we can use our voices—and our votes—to demand a food system that respects both.