The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit against New Jersey for failing to produce voter registration records, renewing scrutiny of the state’s election system.
New Jersey, NJ – The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday it has filed a federal lawsuit against New Jersey for failing to produce its full statewide voter registration list upon request, part of a broader enforcement effort involving multiple states.
The lawsuit, brought by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, alleges New Jersey did not comply with a request made under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which grants the Attorney General authority to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of statewide voter registration records.
Key Points
- DOJ files lawsuit against New Jersey over voter registration records
- Federal officials cite authority under Civil Rights Act of 1960
- Past comments by Gov. Mikie Sherrill about election security resurface
Federal lawsuit targets voter roll access
The Justice Department said it has now filed similar lawsuits against 29 states and the District of Columbia seeking access to voter registration data for review and cross-checking.
NJ is being sued for failure to produce Voter Rolls
— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) February 26, 2026
Considering we have some of the dirtiest rolls in the US w/ more people registered than eligible & Mikie Sherrill says our elections are the least secure
Makes you wonder then what the Dems are hiding
https://t.co/QcIPK0ZC6a https://t.co/HZIbr1qS2Y pic.twitter.com/A40siRz3W9
“Accurate, well-maintained voter rolls are a requisite for the election integrity that the American people deserve,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement announcing the litigation. She added that the department is acting to ensure “transparency, voter roll maintenance, and secure elections across the country.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the department would continue its oversight role “dutifully, neutrally, and transparently wherever Americans vote in federal elections,” noting that some state officials are contesting the requests in court.
According to the complaint, the Attorney General is “uniquely charged by Congress with broad authority” under the Civil Rights Act to request election records, including statewide voter registration lists that can be reviewed for potential improper registrations.
New Jersey officials have not publicly detailed their response to the latest filing.
Sherrill previously raised election security concerns
The lawsuit has drawn attention in New Jersey, where Gov. Mikie Sherrill, while serving in Congress, previously raised concerns about the state’s election infrastructure while serving in Congress.
During a 2019 congressional oversight discussion, Sherrill warned that New Jersey’s election system ranked among the least secure in the country at the time, citing vulnerabilities in voting technology and the absence of paper ballots.
“That’s a huge problem,” Sherrill said during remarks tied to congressional oversight of election infrastructure. “If you’re not aware, New Jersey has the least safe election systems in the country. Not a great place to be, especially given some of the attacks on our election system we’ve seen. We don’t have paper ballots, which is critical.”
The comments were made amid broader national scrutiny of election systems following the 2016 presidential election and discussions in Congress about cybersecurity protections, voting machine vulnerabilities, and the expansion of auditable paper ballot systems.
In 2019, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held oversight hearings focused on protecting election systems from cyber threats. Lawmakers examined vulnerabilities in voting machines, electronic poll books, and online voter registration systems, while debating federal funding to help states upgrade equipment and strengthen cybersecurity standards.
Sherrill, then a member of the 116th Congress, supported efforts to expand the use of paper ballots and audit trails as safeguards against both foreign and domestic interference.
The current lawsuit against New Jersey centers specifically on voter registration list access and maintenance, rather than voting machine security. However, the renewed federal scrutiny has prompted discussion about the state’s broader election infrastructure and oversight mechanisms.
Tags: New Jersey, U.S. Department of Justice, election integrity, voter rolls, Mikie Sherrill