New Jersey Assembly Republican leaders have introduced a resolution seeking a bipartisan committee with subpoena power to investigate a voter registration software error that affected about 6,600 people.
WEBDESK – NJNEWSLINE
TRENTON, N.J. — Assembly Republican leaders John DiMaio and Christopher DePhillips have introduced a resolution to create a 12-member bipartisan committee to investigate a software error that improperly transmitted voter registration information for about 6,600 people through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
The resolution, AR156, was introduced Sept. 17 and would establish a special Assembly panel with six members appointed by the Assembly speaker and six by the minority leader. The Republican sponsors say the committee would have subpoena power and authority to compel testimony and obtain documents, electronic records, and other evidence.
The proposal follows the state’s July disclosure that an MVC software error caused people who had indicated they were not U.S. citizens to be transmitted for voter registration between June 2023 and June 2024. Gov. Mikie Sherrill said the individuals were registered due to a software error and through no fault of their own.
DiMaio, the Assembly Republican leader from Warren County, said the proposed committee would provide a public forum to examine how the registrations occurred and what safeguards are needed.
DePhillips, a Bergen County Republican, said lawmakers should not simply rely on an executive-branch investigation and called for public hearings to examine the circumstances surrounding the error and potential reforms.
State has already begun correcting voter rolls
The Sherrill administration launched an investigation after the error became public and began reviewing the affected voter registrations.
In an Aug. 19 update, the administration said approximately 5,100 registrations had been marked as deleted because the individuals were registered solely due to a software error and had no other registration or attestation indicating eligibility. Another 1,450 registrations were placed in rejected status pending additional review by county election officials.
The state also said that approximately 340 people who were newly registered due to the software error had voted.
Separately, officials identified about 220 people who were affected by the software error and had voted, but also had prior registrations or separate attestations of eligibility. Those cases were referred to county officials for further review.
New Jersey’s official explanation says the software error occurred under the previous administration and that the state is working to remove people who were erroneously registered while also ensuring that eligible voters are not improperly removed. The investigation into how the error occurred remains ongoing.
What the proposed committee would examine
Under AR156, the bipartisan panel would be empowered to investigate the circumstances surrounding the MVC software error, including how the system transmitted registration information even when individuals indicated they were not U.S. citizens.
The Republican sponsors have also called for the investigation to examine whether changes are needed to New Jersey’s voter-registration procedures and safeguards.
The proposal comes after Assembly Republicans previously asked Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to establish a special legislative committee with subpoena power. The latest resolution formally advances that proposal through the legislative process.
The state says there is no evidence at this time that votes cast by people newly registered due to the software error affected the outcome of the election.
Whether AR156 advances will depend on action by the Assembly. The proposal does not establish the committee itself; it seeks legislative approval to create it.
Why it matters
The dispute puts two oversight approaches before New Jersey lawmakers: the ongoing executive-branch investigation ordered by Sherrill and the Republican proposal for a bipartisan legislative investigation with subpoena authority.
The administration says it is continuing its review and voter-roll corrections, while the Republican sponsors argue that public legislative hearings are needed to examine the error and determine what additional safeguards or legislation may be appropriate.
