TRENTON, NJ – A move is in action in Trenton to seal voter registration records from public view on the internet in New Jersey. The move comes as claims and cases of voter fraud, voter tampering, and voting rolls being filled with potentially ineligible voters.
Public records available online allow for citizens and journalists to perform their own voter registration research and investigations.
Now, Democrats in Trenton want to block the voter registration rolls from public view.
New Jersey Moves to Protect Voter Privacy with Legislative Action
They are billing it as a significant step towards enhancing voter privacy, the New Jersey Legislature has introduced Assembly Bill No. 4897, aimed at prohibiting the publication of Statewide voter registration information on the Internet.
Sponsored by Assembly members Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, William W. Spearman, and Benjie E. Wimberly, the bill seeks to amend existing laws to strengthen the protection of voter data.
The legislation targets disseminating voter registration details online, a practice currently allowed under specific conditions. Access to the Statewide voter registration system is granted to select officials and entities, including the Secretary of State, designated executive departments, county and municipal clerks, and political party chairmen. Printed voter lists are made available to voters and district boards for a nominal fee.
The proposed bill underscores the importance of safeguarding voter information by restricting its availability on the Internet. This move is in response to growing concerns over privacy and the potential misuse of voter data. By limiting online access, the bill aims to protect New Jersey voters’ personal information more securely.
Voter registration records consist only of public information and have historically been made public to ensure voting and election integrity. Those records are used to see who is registered to vote, which political party they are affiliated with, when they voted, and where they voted. The records do not show who the person voted for nor do they contain any other information that is not already publicly available.