Records obtained through a public records request in a key blue state revealed that noncitizens have been on voter rolls for years now and some of them even voted in previous elections. The New Jersey Republican Party, along with the Republican National Committee (RNC) requested voter rolls from all 21 counties in New Jersey and discovered several instances of noncitizens seeking naturalization asking to be taken off the rolls.
These individuals claimed they were unknowingly registered to vote. Unsurprisingly, most of these noncitizens were registered as Democrats. Noncitizens are barred from participating in state or federal elections. The candidates for citizenship were concerned that their names being on the rolls would disqualify them from receiving citizenship.
According to official letters from Atlantic County, Superintendent of Elections & Commissioner of Registration Maureen Bugdon verified that noncitizens approached her about being taken off the rolls. “Please allow this letter to confirm that on today’s date, the below referenced individual came before this office to confirm her registration and voter status,” the typical letter says.
“She relayed that she did not wish to be a New Jersey registered voter and does not understand how she became registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles, allegedly,” it added. The majority of the letters confirmed that the noncitizens did not have a voting record. However, a few did. One individual, who the county claims was removed in 2015, cast ballots several times in 2000, 2001, and the 2008 general election.
A report from Fox News also revealed that another noncitizen voted in a 2005 primary election and a municipal election in 2000. Several other documents obtained through the records request showed noncitizens directly asking to be taken off the rolls through a state voter registration cancellation form. When asked why they wanted to be removed, the noncitizens, who, again, were unknowingly registered, checked “Other” and wrote they were not citizens.
Fox reviewed over 50 documents from noncitizens in Atlantic County alone that attested to being registered to vote unknowingly. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters stated that the group found hundreds of noncitizen registrants in the Garden State and that’s likely just the beginning. He also pointed out that New Jersey and several other Democratic states are unwilling to provide information about their voter registration list maintenance processes.
The organization has requested that information from 48 states. “I mean, it’s really incredible because here the Democrats are saying that, you know, noncitizens never vote, [that], this is a non-issue, but every county we’re finding people that are self-reporting now, and I’m glad we’re doing these records request because it’s really eye-opening, because this is just the people that have self-reported,” Gruters told Fox.
"*" indicates required fields
“You want a democracy that’s secure and elections that are free and safe and that people can depend upon, and people have full confidence in,” he continued. Gruters then told the outlet that the RNC is “bringing the hammer down” and that it now has “boots on the ground” across the United States to ensure the preservation of election integrity ahead of the November 2026 midterms.
“We have staffers already in 17 states working on these issues to make sure that, like I said, it goes back to having a safe and secure election that’s free and fair,” he explained. The Republican Party of New Jersey is also conducting its own analysis of the documents. “We have just begun our analysis and already uncovered hundreds of instances of non-citizens placed on New Jersey’s voter rolls over the past few years. With more records still outstanding, these findings are likely only the beginning,” Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon said.
“In New Jersey, there is currently no reliable process to consistently identify non-citizens who have been registered to vote. This undermines confidence in the system and highlights the need for stronger safeguards to ensure only eligible voters are registered,” she added. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles stated that it’s rare that noncitizens end up on voter rolls.