TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Assembly Republicans have created a five-member policy task force and unveiled a seven-measure election package that includes proposals requiring voter identification, changing voter registration procedures and adding security requirements for mail-in ballot drop boxes.
The task force, chaired by Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, R-Monmouth, is focusing first on election policy following the discovery of a software error in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission system that improperly registered approximately 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens.
The error occurred between June 2023 and June 2024. State officials have said the affected individuals were registered through no fault of their own and that a subsequent review found some may be citizens or otherwise have valid registrations.
“New Jersey residents’ confidence in our elections has been damaged with the revelation that Democrat-led state agencies failed by not only registering noncitizens to vote but then inviting them to participate. That is why this task force is presenting policies to ensure something like this never happens again as well as to clean up the voter rolls, prevent voter fraud, and make sure every legal vote counts,” Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth) said.
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, serves as vice chair of the task force and sponsors four of the seven measures included in the package.
“New Jersey voters want stronger safeguards and accountability for the blatant failures in our voter registration system. The majority has yet to acknowledge or meet those demands. We will lead the fight for reforms that restore faith in our elections,” Fantasia said.
Assemblymen John Azzariti, R-Bergen; Paul Kanitra, R-Ocean; and Alex Sauickie, R-Ocean, are the other members of the task force.
According to Assembly Republicans, the group was formed to develop a broader policy agenda and follows a similar effort created by the Assembly Republican Policy Committee in 1990.
“Public confidence won’t be restored by asking voters to accept a system that has already failed them. This package puts concrete solutions on the table to clean up voter rolls, verify eligibility, and secure our elections. Our Democrat colleagues have an opportunity to help deliver those protections, and we’re asking them to take it,” Fantasia said.
The seven measures include A187, which would establish a Voting Integrity Task Force within the Attorney General’s Office made up of state, county and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute alleged voter fraud.
A5627 would require the secretary of state to maintain a voter registration list maintenance and cross-checking program aimed at identifying duplicate, nonresident and otherwise ineligible registrations. It would also require a report within 90 days following each general election and cross-check voter registration information with jury records to identify people who report they are noncitizens when seeking to be excused from jury service.
A5628 would require voters to present qualifying government-issued or photo identification at polling places and require licenses issued to noncitizens to be visually distinct.
A5489 would eliminate automatic voter registration and return New Jersey to an opt-in registration process. It would also require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote through the MVC.
A5590 would require mail-in ballots to be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be canvassed, while A5565 would require video surveillance and recording of mail-in ballot drop boxes and the counting of mail-in ballots.
The final measure, AR156, would create a 12-member special Assembly committee on election integrity. Six members would be appointed by the Assembly speaker and six by the minority leader, with each selecting a co-chair. The committee would have subpoena power and authority to compel testimony and obtain documents, electronic records and other evidence as part of its investigation.
“The bills are commonsense reforms that will safeguard elections,” Scharfenberger said. “Requiring voter ID is something the majority of Americans and even Gov. Sherrill supports, so we believe that this package warrants real consideration by legislative leaders. These bills deserve to be heard in committee, and the residents of New Jersey deserve to have confidence in our elections.”
