Republican senators want to replace automatic voter registration with an opt-in system, require photo identification at the polls and audit voter rolls twice annually following a series of registration errors.

TRENTON, NJ — Republican lawmakers are pushing to end automatic voter registration at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission after thousands of people were improperly registered through a software error, but Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration is pursuing reforms to the existing system rather than ending the practice.

Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco and Sen. Kristin Corrado are sponsoring Senate Bill 4616, introduced October 1, which would eliminate automatic voter registration at the MVC and other state agencies.

The legislation would also establish mandatory voter identification requirements, expand citizenship verification and require audits of New Jersey’s voter rolls every six months.

The proposal follows Sherrill’s July disclosure that an MVC software error resulted in approximately 6,600 people who answered “no” to a citizenship question being improperly processed for voter registration between June 2023 and June 2024.

The governor ordered an investigation, corrections to the voter rolls and changes to the agency’s registration procedures. Her administration has not announced a permanent suspension of automatic voter registration.

Republicans propose ending automatic registration

Under S4616, residents conducting business with the MVC would still have an opportunity to register to vote, but they would have to affirmatively choose registration rather than being automatically enrolled through the applicable process.

The measure would eliminate the automatic registration system while retaining voter registration services for eligible MVC customers.

Bucco, whose district includes portions of Morris and Passaic counties, and Corrado, who represents parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties, argue that the registration failures demonstrate the need for a different approach.

“New Jerseyans need more than just excuses and finger-pointing; they deserve action, and there are commonsense steps we can take right now,” Bucco said when discussing the proposal.

The legislation is also co-sponsored by Republican Senators Latham Tiver and Parker Space.

Sherrill continues MVC registration while implementing reforms

In an October 7 statement, Sherrill announced new safeguards intended to prevent registration errors, including daily automated audits comparing voter registration records against customers’ actual responses.

The administration is also replacing its technology vendor, expanding language assistance and introducing additional eligibility checks during MVC events for people preparing to leave incarceration.

Sherrill said her administration would continue investigating and correcting registration problems while protecting eligible voters from improper removal.

The governor has not announced a decision on S4616 or explicitly stated that she would veto it. Her announced policy, however, focuses on retaining and improving MVC voter registration rather than abolishing automatic enrollment.

Additional errors found in hundreds of voter records

The October review uncovered two additional categories of registration problems beyond the original citizenship-related software error.

Approximately 750 people who answered “no” to an age-eligibility question also had their records improperly transmitted for registration. State officials said those individuals were old enough to vote, but their registrations were not legally valid because of the incorrect responses.

The administration reported that approximately 50 people registered solely because of that error subsequently voted. Their records were being referred for further review.

Investigators also identified approximately 340 potentially improper registrations associated with MVC re-entry events dating back to 2016, involving people who may still have been serving sentences that made them ineligible at the time.

These findings were separate from the original 6,600 citizenship-question records.

Bill would also require photo ID to vote

Beyond eliminating automatic registration, S4616 would require voters casting ballots in person to present an unexpired New Jersey driver’s license, state identification card, REAL ID or U.S. passport.

Voters without the required identification could cast provisional ballots but generally would have until the close of business on the second day after the election to provide acceptable documentation.

Mail-in voters would also face identification requirements, with specified exceptions under federal law.

The proposal would require citizenship verification before approving voter registrations and statewide voter-roll audits every six months, with annual findings reported to the governor and Legislature.

Republicans demand broader investigation

Following Sherrill’s October 7 update, Bucco called for the administration to release more detailed findings about the registration failures.

“We need to stop learning about new problems through piecemeal press releases and start getting real answers,” Bucco said.

Republicans argue that eliminating automatic registration would reduce the risk of future erroneous enrollments. Sherrill’s administration maintains that stronger verification, record reviews and vendor changes can address the problems while preserving voter access.