Trump administration cites New Jersey voter registration error to push SAVE Act before Senate recess
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The White House is using a software glitch that mistakenly registered non-citizens in New Jersey as a rationale to urge Congress to pass the SAVE Act, a measure critics say could suppress voting rights.
The Trump administration highlighted a New Jersey incident in which about 6,600 non-citizens were erroneously placed on voter rolls after a software error linked driver’s-license applications to voter registration, Governor Mikie Sherrill said. Fewer than 400 of those individuals were found to have voted, and state officials reported no evidence that any election outcomes were affected.
President Donald Trump referenced the case on his social-media platform, claiming the number of improperly registered non-citizens was far higher and urging Republicans to support the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act before the Senate’s August recess. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the administration’s position, suggesting that similar errors may exist in other states.
The SAVE Act would require states to obtain in-person documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and a photo ID at the time of voter registration, as well as to purge non-citizens from existing rolls. Voting-rights groups and many congressional Democrats have described the bill as a voter-suppression measure that could disenfranchise eligible citizens lacking specific documents.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will oppose the legislation, noting that courts and previous congressional votes have rejected it. The Department of Justice announced an investigation into the New Jersey registrations and requested detailed personal information about the individuals involved. Governor Sherrill’s office characterized the DOJ request as a political use of the Justice Department, while the administration maintains the inquiry is part of ensuring election integrity.