Republican U.S. Senate nominee Justin Murphy supports legislation requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote as he looks to make New Jersey’s voter-registration controversy an issue in his campaign against Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.
“Election integrity and our sacred right to vote is a paramount American civil right,” Murphy said Friday.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed this week that a Motor Vehicle Commission software failure resulted in roughly 6,600 noncitizens being added to New Jersey’s voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024. Fewer than 400 of them ultimately cast ballots, according to the Sherrill administration.
The affected applicants had identified themselves as noncitizens while obtaining driver’s licenses or identification cards, but their information was nevertheless transmitted for voter registration. Sherrill ordered their removal from the rolls and launched an independent investigation into the failure, which occurred during former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration.
Murphy also cited a Department of Homeland Security allegation that as many as 35,152 noncitizens were registered in New Jersey, although federal officials have not publicly established that figure or explained how it was calculated.
The former Tabernacle deputy mayor said Sherrill’s disclosure was insufficient to resolve concerns about the integrity of the state’s voter rolls.
“Just one fraudulent vote cast by an illegal alien violates America’s electoral system and legally cast ballots,” Murphy said. “I find it comical, yet dangerous, that the party that proclaims they are trying to save democracy, nominated Kamala Harris in 2024 without a single primary vote cast for her, and is unwilling to maintain voter rolls for election integrity.”
The Republican said he would have co-sponsored the SAVE America Act if he were already serving in the Senate. The measure would establish federal voter-identification requirements and require applicants to provide proof of citizenship when registering for federal elections. Noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in federal and New Jersey elections.
“As a candidate, I support the SAVE Act, and my opponent opposes the SAVE Act,” Murphy said. “There is a clear difference between myself and Cory Booker.”
The first debate in the Senate race between Booker and Murphy is set for Thursday, October 8, sponsored by the New Jersey Globe and Rider University.