Trenton, NJ – All 23 Republican members of the New Jersey General Assembly are urging Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to establish a Special Legislative Committee on Election Integrity with subpoena power to investigate voter registration errors disclosed by the Murphy administration.
In a letter dated Wednesday, the lawmakers argued that an internal executive branch investigation is insufficient after state officials disclosed that approximately 6,600 non-citizens were improperly registered to vote through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s automatic voter registration system between June 2023 and June 2024. The administration also said nearly 400 of those individuals cast ballots.
Lawmakers seek bipartisan committee
The letter requests a committee composed of an equal number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, with co-chairs appointed by both caucuses. The proposed panel would have subpoena authority to compel testimony and the production of documents and electronic records.
The lawmakers wrote, “The Legislature has an independent responsibility to determine what happened, why it happened and whether additional failures remain undiscovered.”
Witnesses identified in request
The letter calls for testimony from former acting MVC Chief Administrator Latrecia “Trish” Littles-Floyd, representatives of Idemia, former Secretary of State Tahesha Way, and current Secretary of State Dale Caldwell.
Republican lawmakers also cited a recent federal communication identifying a larger number of non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey than the total disclosed by the state, arguing the discrepancy warrants legislative scrutiny.
Why it matters
The request reflects growing political scrutiny over New Jersey’s automatic voter registration system and whether additional safeguards are needed. Assembly Republicans argue that a public legislative investigation with subpoena power is necessary to determine how the registration errors occurred, when state officials became aware of the issue, and whether further reforms are required.
