Republicans Demand Investigation Into Sun Report of Non-Citizen Voter Registration in New Jersey

Three New Jersey Republican lawmakers are demanding an immediate investigation after The New York Sun identified a non-citizen who said she found out she was registered to vote.State Senator Declan O’Scanlon joined Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger in sending a letter to Acting Secretary of State Shirley Emehelu describing it as a “troubling constituent matter” involving the apparent improper registration of a noncitizen to vote in New Jersey.Italian-born green card holder, Ilaria Giugliano, who lives with her family on the Jersey Shore, discovered that she is an active voter despite not registering to vote. She told the Sun that receiving a sample ballot in the mail was “disturbing.”Public records show that Ms. Giugliano, 19, is an active voter with an effective registration date of her 18th birthday in September 2025.Ms. Giugliano visited the Freehold Motor Vehicle Commission office in September 2024, on her 17th birthday, to obtain her driver’s license. She said she took precautions to ensure that she did not identify herself as a United States citizen or request voter registration. Ms. Giugliano has indicated that she has never voted and is actively pursuing United States citizenship.The GOP lawmakers say the case raises serious concerns regarding the accuracy, oversight, and safeguards associated with New Jersey’s voter registration system.Ms. Giugliano’s registration remained active despite a disclosure this summer from Governor Mikie Sherrill that approximately 6,000 noncitizens were improperly registered due to a software “glitch” but would be removed from voter rolls. This month, Ms. Sherrill announced approximately 750 more impacted voting records.“It seems like every few days we’re getting more instances of non-citizens being registered to vote, and actually voting too,” Mr. Scharfenberger told the Sun.Mr. Scharfenberger said the wrongly registered voters who have been identified came from a review of a very narrow window of 2023 to 2024 registrations through the motor-voter system.“My concern is, among others, that this is more widespread than just the 6,600 that came through the motor vehicles. And also, it may be outside of motor vehicles, people who are getting registered, who shouldn’t be registered, who are not citizens,” Mr. Scharfenberger added. New Jersey allows non-citizens and illegal aliens to obtain standard drivers’ licenses. Citizens can opt-in to being registered to vote at the Motor Vehicle Commission offices during the licensing process. Problems in that process led to the registration of people not being eligible to vote.“Ms. Giugliano’s reported experience raises serious questions about whether all improperly registered individuals have been identified, whether corrective measures have been fully implemented and verified, and whether similar errors may continue to affect New Jersey residents,” the Republican lawmakers wrote.Republicans want the investigation to determine how and when Ms. Giugliano was registered to vote, including the original date of registration, the date her registration became active, and identification of the agency, vendor, system, or process responsible for initiating, transmitting, processing, and approving her registration.They also want to find out if Ms. Giugliano remains listed as an active registered voter and, if so, how it will be corrected.The lawmakers also want to know whether the state has identified, or is currently investigating, additional instances of noncitizens being improperly registered outside the previously disclosed timeframe and the total number of improper registrations that have been identified to date.Mr. Scharfenberger says there needs to be a complete top-to-bottom audit of the voter rolls to identify all non-citizens who have been registered to vote, and other ineligible voters on the rolls.“If history is any indicator, we won’t get a response, but we certainly had to go on record with our concerns,” Mr. Scharfenberger said.The Trump administration has highlighted New Jersey’s problems with non-citizens being registered to vote and some non-citizens voting in elections. In May, four resident aliens in New Jersey were charged in federal criminal complaints in connection with illegally voting in federal elections and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship.“This is so critical because voter apathy is fed by uncertainty about the accuracy of our elections,” Mr. Scharfenberger said. “The more ineligible voters or irregularities in our voting system, the less confident people are in the accuracy of those elections. So that’s what we’re dealing with,” he added.

Republicans Demand Investigation Into Sun Report of Non-Citizen Voter Registration in New Jersey

Republicans Demand Investigation Into Sun Report of Non-Citizen Voter Registration in New Jersey

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