Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) is voicing support for voter ID laws in New Jersey after her administration removed 6,600 noncitizens from its voter rolls in July.
The debate over election integrity and security has all but zeroed in on New Jersey over the past several weeks after Sherrill announced her administration removed the thousands of noncitizens who were illegally registered to vote after what she called a “serious software error” that began under her predecessor, former Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Sherrill backed the idea of voter ID laws in an interview with News 12 in the wake of the news, saying, “I would support that, I don’t have a problem with voter ID.” However, she did put her foot down against President Donald Trump‘s championed SAVE America Act, which would require a valid, government-issued photo ID to register to vote in a federal election.
“I’m very opposed to the SAVE Act,” Sherrill told the local outlet. “I do believe that is just a tool of voter suppression and an attempt to get all of the personal identifying information of New Jerseyans into the federal government’s systems, which I’m opposed to.”
Sean Higgins, a spokeman for Sherrill, told the Washington Examiner that the governor is “open to considering proposals” for stronger voter ID laws in the wake of the July news.
“Governor Sherrill supports the current rules requiring ID for voter registration and she is open to considering proposals to strengthen those to make sure we have the strongest, fairest elections in the nation,” Higgins said.
According to the state Division of Elections, to register to vote, New Jerseyans are required to show a valid driver’s license or ID card issued by the state Motor Vehicle Commission or present the state with their Social Security number.
The Sherrill spokesman did, however, double down on the New Jersey governor’s stance against election security reform coming from “MAGA Republicans,” calling their efforts “voter suppression attempts.”
“Governor Sherrill served our country in the military and as a public servant because she believes in every citizen’s right to participate in our democracy by voting,” Higgins said. “That’s why she has stood firm against MAGA Republicans voter suppression attempts and Trump’s demands for New Jersey voters’ personal identifiable information.”
In the wake of Sherrill’s announcement about the noncitizens removed from its voter rolls, the White House used the instance as a pinpoint example of the need for the SAVE America Act. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Washington Examiner in July that “all patriotic Americans should join in [Trump’s] effort” to secure federal elections with the SAVE Act.
NEW JERSEY KEEPS TWO CONTRACTS WITH VENDOR THAT GOV. SHERRILL BLAMES FOR VOTER REGISTRATION ERROR
Sherrill refused a Department of Justice request to turn over information regarding the noncitizens found on the rolls to the Trump administration in late July.
However, on Tuesday, several House Republicans wrote a letter to the software company connected to the scandal, IDEMIA, urging it to release documents and communications on how the noncitizens were placed on the voter rolls.