The New Jersey Republican Party and Republican National Committee said a review of county voter rolls found hundreds of noncitizens registered to vote, including individuals who reportedly asked to be removed while seeking naturalization.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Republican review of New Jersey voter rolls found hundreds of noncitizens registered to vote across the state, according to findings from the New Jersey Republican Party and the Republican National Committee.
The state GOP and RNC requested voter registration records from all 21 New Jersey counties as part of the review. The groups said they identified hundreds of noncitizens on the voter rolls, with many of those registrants listed as Democrats.
According to the findings reported by Fox News, several noncitizens had attempted to be removed from the rolls after saying they were unknowingly registered. Some were seeking naturalization and feared that being listed as registered voters could affect their immigration status.
In Atlantic County alone, more than 50 noncitizens attested that they had been unknowingly registered to vote. Official letters sent to New Jersey election officials certified that noncitizens had requested removal from the voter rolls.
At least two of those letters showed noncitizens had voting records, according to the report.
Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters said the findings suggest the issue may extend beyond New Jersey. He said Republican officials believe more noncitizens may be registered in other states, but that efforts to document the issue are hindered when Democratic-run states resist requests for voter registration lists.
Gruters said the review undercuts claims that noncitizens are not appearing on voter rolls or attempting to vote.
Despite assertions that noncitizens are not voting, Gruters said Republicans are finding noncitizens in every New Jersey county voluntarily asking to be removed from voter rolls.
The findings add to a broader national debate over voter roll maintenance, election integrity and access to voter registration data. Republicans have pushed for tighter review of voter lists and stronger safeguards to prevent noncitizens from being registered. Election officials and critics of such efforts have generally warned against overstating errors without distinguishing between administrative mistakes, isolated cases and confirmed illegal voting.
The New Jersey review focused on individuals who were listed as registered voters despite being noncitizens, including some who said they did not know they had been added to the rolls. The reported requests for removal raise questions about how the registrations occurred and whether county or state procedures are sufficient to identify and correct ineligible registrations.
The report did not include a response from New Jersey election officials in the provided material.
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