A federal judge has blocked the U.S. Justice Department from obtaining New Jersey's unredacted voter rolls, citing potential privacy concerns for voters. The ruling by District Judge Zahid Quraishi, a Biden appointee, determined that the Justice Department could not access the state's computerized voter registration list under Title III of the Civil Rights Act.
Quraishi's decision stated that the plain text of Title III applies only to records that election officers come into possession of, and therefore does not extend to New Jersey's voter registration list, which the state itself created. This marks another setback for the administration's efforts to access voter rolls across multiple states.
The ruling comes as New Jersey is facing a statewide controversy regarding noncitizen voting. Earlier in the week, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill acknowledged a "serious software error" within the state's Motor Vehicle System that led to the mistaken registration of approximately 6,600 noncitizens. Sherrill stated that an investigation was immediately ordered and that the state's Division of Elections is in the process of removing ineligible voters from the rolls. She also noted that fewer than 400 of those improperly registered cast ballots.
Adding to the controversy, reports emerged that approximately 75,000 noncitizens had been summoned for jury duty through state databases, according to multiple reports. This has broadened the scope of the issue beyond the Motor Vehicle Commission and prompted calls for a wider investigation from Republican officials. State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon has called for New Jersey to halt its current automatic voter registration system, initiate an independent investigation, and consider federal oversight.
State Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., described the situation as "horrible" and emphasized the need for accountability regarding the computer error. He expressed a need to address such issues going forward. The company providing identity-related security services for the state has denied any wrongdoing.
The Justice Department had previously sued Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey seeking access to their respective voter rolls.