Assemblywoman Fantasia pushes for voter ID vote; motion blocked by N.J. Assembly majority
TRENTON, N.J. — A Republican-sponsored bill that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls was blocked from advancing Monday in the Democrat-controlled New Jersey Assembly, despite the sponsor’s push for a floor vote.
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, introduced the bill (A4248) in May 2024, calling for voters to present a state or federal-issued photo ID before casting a ballot in person or by mail. She cited polling data showing more than 80% of Americans support voter ID requirements and urged her colleagues to bring the bill to a vote.
“When there is a bill of this nature before us, as a Legislature, it is our duty to put it up for a vote when it is asked for by our constituents,” Fantasia said on the Assembly floor. “Anyone opposed is absolutely free to side with that 20% and vote it down, but it does deserve to be heard.”
Despite what Fantasia described as a “liberal media-driven narrative” that requiring proof of identity to vote disenfranchises minorities, a Monmouth University poll found that the overwhelming majority of respondents support voter ID laws — including 62% of Democrats.
Currently, New Jersey law requires poll workers to verify voter identity by asking voters to sign a poll book and comparing it to the signature on file. Only first-time voters who could not verify their identity when registering are required to show ID.
The motion to bring Fantasia’s bill to the floor was blocked after State and Local Government Committee Chair Robert Karabinchak, D-Middlesex, moved to table the legislation. He was joined by 43 Democrats, sending the measure back to committee where it has remained without a hearing.
“New Jersey is just four months away from a very consequential state election. It is time to restore voter confidence as it’s the cornerstone of free and fair elections,” Fantasia said. “But Democrats in Trenton continue to delay action on any issue that might hurt their chances come November.”
