Ex-Mayor Asks Trump Administration to Monitor NJ Elections Amid Non-Citizen Voting Concerns

Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac is urging the Trump administration to dispatch federal election monitors to New Jersey, citing concerns over hundreds of non-citizens reportedly casting votes in the state. Kranjac has communicated his concerns in a letter addressed to Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Robert Frazer, arguing that the state's voter roll issues necessitate further federal scrutiny.

In his correspondence, Kranjac stated that New Jersey has not disclosed the full extent of the problem or identified non-citizen registered voters. He attributed these issues to the continuation of what he described as "unlawful sanctuary state policies" that provide services to non-citizens at taxpayer expense. Kranjac expressed skepticism that Governor Mikie Sherrill's administration would fully address the problem publicly, given his experience as a state official.

Earlier this year, Governor Sherrill announced that approximately 6,600 individuals who indicated they were not U.S. citizens had been added to the voter rolls, with about 400 of them casting ballots since 2023. Sherrill attributed this to a "serious software error" involving a vendor, IDEMIA. However, IDEMIA contested this, asserting that the state had access to data indicating the non-citizenship of these individuals. Voting by non-citizens in federal elections is illegal.

These revelations follow a broader warning from the Department of Homeland Security, which suggested that over 35,000 non-citizens might be registered to vote nationally. Governor Sherrill's office stated that they had not received adequate information regarding this federal assessment.

Kranjac, a Republican who served as mayor of Englewood Cliffs from 2016 to 2024, called for Sherrill to testify before Congress on the matter. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that lawful votes are not diluted by ineligible voters.

Kranjac also highlighted New Jersey's significant foreign-born population, noting that the state has a high percentage of residents ineligible to run for office. He requested that the Trump administration investigate potential illegal voting, ensure voter rolls are cleaned, and clarify the findings regarding non-citizens on voter rolls.

A spokesperson for Governor Sherrill criticized the push for federal intervention, characterizing it as a Republican attempt to suppress votes and weaponize the federal government. The spokesperson accused Donald Trump and his supporters of using such tactics to counter expected electoral defeat.

Attorney General Blanche has defended the administration's plans for federal election oversight, stating that the Department of Justice has monitored elections since the 1960s and that President Trump's administration is continuing this long-standing practice to ensure the law is followed. The Justice Department's involvement typically includes monitoring polling sites in various states during election cycles.