Findings of initial efforts believed to be ‘tip of the iceberg’ due to flawed systems, NJGOP Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon says

COLTS NECK, New Jersey ⎯ Initial findings of the newly-formed NJGOP Election Integrity
Task Force found that hundreds of non-citizens were registered to vote based on analysis of
public records requests submitted in conjunction with the Republican National Committee to all
of New Jersey’s 21 counties, announced NJGOP Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon. In
addition, at least 30 documented cases were uncovered of non-citizens illegally casting votes,
in some cases in multiple elections and for many years.

“We have just begun our analysis and already have uncovered significant breaches. We believe
these findings are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Chairwoman Hanlon. “The most concerning
part is that it appears these cases are a direct result of flaws that exist in New Jersey’s voter
registration and vetting process.”

One key vulnerability cited stems from the voter registration process conducted through the
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJVMC). Non-citizens can legally obtain New Jersey
driver’s licenses, and many are also eligible to legally obtain Social Security numbers.
Individuals who may be legally present in the United States but not eligible to vote may
nevertheless become registered through the NJVMC integrated system because of insufficient
citizenship-verification safeguards. Fraudulent participation at the polls is then encouraged for
anyone on active voter rolls through mandatory official elections communications like sample
ballots and other campaign materials from candidates.

“This may be one of the most significant election-integrity issues in New Jersey history,” said
Chairwoman Hanlon. “Not only do county-level records show that hundreds of non-citizens
were placed on New Jersey’s voter rolls, but additional documentation indicates multiple cases
of non-citizens casting ballots in multiple elections.”

Instances of non-citizens illegally on the voter rolls surfaced through individual self-reporting,
documents show. “Without these disclosures, election officials may never have detected these
individuals on the voter rolls, highlighting another major gap in our existing system,”
Chairwoman Hanlon said. With the implementation earlier this year of New Jersey’s “opt-out”
system for voter registration through NJVMC, the risk of vulnerability will only increase.
Obtained data did reflect that hundreds of non-citizens requested removal from voter rolls after
self-reporting to New Jersey’s voter registration offices during the naturalization process.

“Without these individuals’ self-reporting, there would have been no way to know if they were
eligible voters. It begs the question, how many other non-citizens are currently on the rolls who
have not self-reported? Sufficient safeguards are needed in New Jersey to prevent non-citizens
from being added to the voter rolls in the first place,” Chairwoman Hanlon said.

More records are expected from some New Jersey counties as the investigation continues.
Launched less than a month ago, the NJGOP Election Integrity Task Force is working together
with the Republican National Committee as part of a larger initiative designed to identify
vulnerabilities in New Jersey’s election system and advocate for stronger safeguards to prevent
fraud, abuse and misconduct.

“Election integrity is not a partisan or political issue, but the very foundation of our democracy.
Americans deserve elections that have integrity, and we must take decisive action to push for
proper reforms in New Jersey,” Chairwoman Hanlon said.

About the NJGOP
The New Jersey Republican State Committee is the official entity of the Republican National
Committee and represents more than 1.6 million Republicans registered in New Jersey. For
more information, visit NJGOP.org.

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