NJ Republicans Push For Voter ID After Governor Admits Noncitizens Registered to Vote

State Sen. Michael Testa (R-Cumberland) is calling on the New Jersey Legislature to return from summer recess for a special session to pass a voter ID law, after Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she would not oppose one.

Sherrill made the comments during a July appearance on News 12's "Ask the Governor," telling a viewer she would sign a voter ID requirement if lawmakers sent one to her desk. Her remarks came days after the state disclosed that at least 6,600 illegal immigrants had been registered to vote through what she called a Motor Vehicle Commission "software error," with roughly 400 of them believed to have actually cast ballots.

Testa, co-sponsor of S-68, argues there's no reason to wait until the fall session to act. The bill would require voters to show a driver's license, REAL ID, MVC identification card or U.S. passport before casting a ballot at the polls. Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-Toms River), who has introduced a companion measure every session since 2020, joined the call for immediate action.

Democrats, who control both chambers, have shown no urgency to schedule a vote. Testa noted the state still hasn't disclosed where the roughly 400 noncitizen votes were cast, a gap Republicans say matters given how often local races in New Jersey turn on a handful of ballots. A Cumberland County commission race last year was decided by 132 votes, and a 2025 Oakland Borough Council election ended in a tie.

Testa says the issue should top the Legislature's agenda when lawmakers reconvene this fall — if not sooner.