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Noncitizens were discovered on voter rolls in New Jersey, with some having voted in past elections, according to documents obtained through public records requests. The New Jersey Republican Party (NJGOP) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) reviewed voter data from all 21 counties, finding multiple cases where noncitizens seeking naturalization asked to be removed from the rolls, often stating they were unknowingly registered, most through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Many of these individuals were registered as Democrats, and some had voting records dating back to 2000 and 2001, as reported by Fox News.
While most noncitizens who self-identified on the rolls had not voted, a few did participate in federal, primary, or municipal elections. In Atlantic County, more than 50 such removals were documented. According to official letters from county officials, noncitizens typically cited accidental registration as the cause, with many checking a box labeled "other" and clarifying they were not citizens.
The RNC, led by Chairman Joe Gruters, claims that hundreds of noncitizen registrants have been found in New Jersey and suggests that the true number may be higher, given that these cases mostly involve self-reporting. Gruters stated, "You want a democracy that's secure and elections that are free and safe and that people can depend upon, and people have full confidence in." He argued that transparency and better voter roll maintenance are crucial, and that New Jersey and other states should disclose more about how they manage voter lists.
In response to the findings, the RNC has launched a nationwide push for election integrity, deploying staff across 17 states and pursuing legal challenges to gain access to state voter rolls in places like Delaware, Maryland, Hawaii, and Nevada. The RNC argues that such access is necessary both for internal party strategy and to ensure compliance with federal election laws, but courts have consistently required parties to show real cases of fraud, not just hypothetical risks.
A spokesperson for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission stated that it is rare for noncitizens to be registered and that the agency uses "rigorous processes to ensure eligible individuals register to vote," but takes any such cases seriously.
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and all states require applicants to declare citizenship status under penalty of perjury, as detailed by Ballotpedia. Some states mandate additional proof of citizenship for voter registration, but New Jersey currently relies on self-attestation.
Looking ahead, the RNC is pursuing related lawsuits and preparing for further legal action, while the Supreme Court is set to decide on a separate case affecting the timeline for counting mail-in ballots. The issue of noncitizen registration and voter roll maintenance is expected to remain a topic of debate leading up to the November elections.