More than four in five New Jersey residents support requiring voters to show identification at the polls, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll that could add pressure on state lawmakers to revisit voter ID legislation.
The survey found that 82% of respondents support or strongly support requiring voters to prove their eligibility with a driver’s license or state ID when voting in person. Another 71% support a stricter requirement that voters provide proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering to vote.
The findings arrive as Republicans in the Democratic-controlled New Jersey Legislature continue pushing for voter ID requirements. Their efforts have stalled despite broad public support for the proposed changes.
According to the New Jersey Monitor, Gov. Mikie Sherrill has said she has no issue with voter ID requirements. The debate has intensified following revelations that thousands of people who told the state Motor Vehicle Commission they were noncitizens were registered to vote, with approximately 340 casting ballots.
The poll also found that many New Jersey residents remain confident in the election system. Seventy-four percent said they were somewhat or very confident in the accuracy of in-person and early-voting results, while 59% expressed similar confidence in mail voting.
The results suggest voters can support stronger identification requirements while maintaining confidence in the overall election process.
Ashley Koning, director of Rutgers’ Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, noted that support for voter ID requirements was more intense than voters’ confidence in election results.
Among Republicans, 95% strongly supported an identification requirement, while only 12% said they were very confident that only eligible voters would cast ballots. Democrats expressed substantially greater confidence in voter eligibility.
The next question is whether Democratic legislative leaders will take up the Republican-backed proposals or leave the current system in place despite the overwhelming preferences of New Jersey voters.
