Rep. Van Drew Leads House GOP Demand for Answers Over NJ Non-Citizen Voter Registration Scandal

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) has led 18 of his House Republican colleagues in sending a formal letter to New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, demanding full accountability after state officials admitted that approximately 6,600 non-citizens were registered to vote—and nearly 400 cast ballots—before the system failure was discovered.

System Failure Even When Applicants Answered “No” to Citizenship

Lawmakers highlighted a major flaw in New Jersey’s system: applicants who explicitly answered “no” when asked if they were U.S. citizens were still added to the voter rolls.

“When the state uncovers a failure of this magnitude, it cannot simply acknowledge the problem and move on,” said Rep. Van Drew (NJ-02). “What is most concerning about this to me is that these numbers only account for people who selected ‘no’ when asked whether they were United States citizens. They told the truth about their status and were still registered to vote. Who knows how many others may have selected ‘yes’ and were never independently verified?”

Van Drew emphasized that this failure underlines the urgent need for mandatory voter ID laws and independent citizenship verification safeguards.

House Republicans Push for the SAVE America Act

The revelation has renewed calls from congressional Republicans to pass national election integrity legislation, including the SAVE America Act, which would mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration.

Key Responses from House Leadership & Lawmakers:

• Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04): Called the situation “a catastrophic and negligent betrayal of election integrity and New Jerseyans’ trust,” warning that current voter registration systems nationwide remain ill-maintained and vulnerable.

• Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24): Stated that the 400 ballots cast by non-citizens give Americans every right to demand a full explanation and concrete plans to secure future elections.

• Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11): Noted that the New Jersey failure serves as a clear example of why federal safeguards are necessary to ensure only American citizens participate in elections.

• Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09): Argued that this incident provides undeniable proof that non-citizen registration is not a fictitious issue, calling for voter ID and citizenship verification across all states.

• Rep. Ben Cline (VA-06) & Rep. Eli Crane (AZ-02): Urged the U.S. Senate to take swift action on the SAVE America Act to restore public confidence in the election process.

Demands for Investigation and Systemic Reform

In their letter to Governor Sherrill, Congressman Van Drew and his colleagues are pressing for answers on:

1. How the system allowed non-citizens to be registered despite explicitly declining citizenship status.

2. Why the issue took a full year to identify and disclose.

3. Whether additional ineligible voter registrations remain unaddressed on New Jersey’s voter rolls.

4. What immediate steps are being taken to guarantee voter roll security ahead of upcoming elections.

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New Jersey Politics Congress Jeff Van Drew Election Integrity Voter ID SAVE America Act Mikie Sherrill National News