TRENTON, NJ – A new report by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) has identified more than 32,000 potentially problematic voter records in New Jersey, raising concerns about election roll accuracy ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

In a letter sent Wednesday to New Jersey Lt. Governor and Secretary of State Tahesha Way, PILF outlined multiple issues with the state’s voter database, including duplicate registrations across states and records with placeholder birthdates. The group said the findings “underscore the urgent need for improved list maintenance practices.”

The report found 14,059 interstate duplicate registrations, with individuals registered in New Jersey and at least one other state. The largest overlaps were with Florida (6,972), New York (5,725), and Pennsylvania (925).

Another 15,655 registrations included placeholder or fictitious birthdates, such as “1800-01-01.” Essex County alone had more than 5,100 such entries. Additionally, 2,507 duplicate registrations were found at identical residential addresses, often due to slight variations in names and missing or false birthdate data.

“States have an obligation under federal law to maintain accurate rolls,” said PILF President J. Christian Adams. “Poorly maintained voter rolls open the door to fraud and undermine confidence in our elections.”

The organization said a random sample of 10 records with placeholder dates of birth revealed that all correct birthdates were easily traceable. Two individuals in that sample were found to be deceased for over two decades, and one was also registered in Florida.

PILF sent a similar letter to Maine election officials earlier in July, citing comparable recordkeeping problems.

The group has requested a formal meeting with New Jersey election officials to present findings and propose solutions, including the use of federal and credit bureau data to update registration files.

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