Demands for a comprehensive investigation into New Jersey's election integrity have intensified following reports that approximately 75,000 noncitizens were summoned for jury duty. This revelation has broadened a scandal that initially focused on noncitizens registering to vote through the state's automatic voter registration system at the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).
State Sen. Kristin Corrado, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the safeguards in New Jersey's automatic voter registration system, stating that officials dismissed her worries. "We were on the honor system. We did not think that was acceptable or satisfactory or enough of a safeguard," Corrado told Fox News Digital, recalling responses from state officials.
Corrado and other Republican lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, are now advocating for a bipartisan special investigation with subpoena power. They argue that the administration's ongoing internal probe is too narrowly focused on what they term a motor vehicle "glitch" and may not uncover the full extent of the problem.
"The fact is that the people in charge for so long said this absolutely was impossible; Republicans were ‘conspiracy theorists’," said State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Little Silver. "Those of us in the middle who have said there are real issues here and they were ignored, and we were accused of being conspiracy theorists, only to find out that we were absolutely right."
O'Scanlon characterized the motor-voter revelations as the "tip of the iceberg," a sentiment echoed by subsequent reports of the 75,000 noncitizens summoned for jury duty. He warned that the situation "has the potential to be a real scandal" and stressed the need for swift action, especially with critical elections on the horizon.
According to a spokesman for the state court system, the jury summons system draws from MVC, taxation, and election department lists. While the taxation department is legally permitted to have noncitizens on its rolls, prospective jurors are required to certify their citizenship status on a mandatory questionnaire. The spokesman stated that approximately 75,000 individuals per year are disqualified from jury service solely due to a lack of U.S. citizenship.
Corrado and Bucco have also introduced legislation aimed at removing the MVC from the voter registration process and implementing voter ID and regular audits of election data systems. "Get the MVC out of the voter registration business," Bucco stated.
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Boonton, suggested that the number of noncitizens summoned for jury duty indicates a need for federal intervention. He criticized Gov. Mikie Sherrill's investigation as a potential "whitewash" and called for the U.S. Attorney General's office to take charge.
Former Gov. Phil Murphy's spokesman previously stated that Murphy had "no knowledge" of the issues at the MVC, a claim Corrado found difficult to believe, calling it "incredibly troubling."