New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill recently revealed a startling number. Her office found 6,600 noncitizens registered to vote through the state Motor Vehicle Commission. This disclosure has sparked a wider debate about election security.
According to Fox News, this is not an isolated incident. It points to a much larger struggle over how states verify citizenship before a person casts a ballot. The dispute centers on the conflict between maximum access for voters and maximum verification of their status.
This isn't just a New Jersey problem. This is a national problem.
Texas Public Policy Foundation officer Chuck DeVore told Fox News Digital that the issue extends far beyond one state line. He argues that allowing noncitizen and illegal voting to continue unchecked creates serious risks for the entire country.
The root of this issue dates back to 1993. President Bill Clinton signed the National Voter Registration Act into law. It is commonly called the "Motor Voter Law."
DeVore explained that the law requires states to offer voter registration through motor vehicle agencies. He said the original intention was to make it really easy to register to vote. This was done by using a very common part of government.
"which was the Department of Motor Vehicles or whatever the equivalent is," DeVore said. He noted that these agencies have a specific, narrow mission. They focus on two main things.
"You who you say you are — and can you safely operate [automotive] machinery."
DeVore argued that neither of these functions has anything to do with election security. He added that adding a voter registration layer on top creates raw material for fraud. This supercharges the weakness in the current system.
The Justice Department has adopted a "broken-windows theory" approach to investigate potential election violations. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the agency is applying this crime-fighting theory.
However, the federal government faces resistance from states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Both states' election agencies refused to release unredacted sensitive information. They raised privacy and legal objections to the federal demands.
DeVore believes that inappropriately pumping up the vote has historically been a path to gaining power. He stated that a plurality of Americans are concerned about noncitizen voting.
He warned that activists and others are giving leads to officials about these violations. "We need to go after every single one of these violations … I can't talk about a lot of what we're doing publicly, but activists and others are giving us leads," he said.