WASHINGTON — Congressman Jeff Van Drew says he plans to continue pressing for stricter voter identification requirements while launching a congressional review of New Jersey's voter registration system.
During an appearance Monday on WOND's The Don Williams Show, Van Drew said he supports the federal SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration, and announced that his congressional oversight subcommittee will hold a hearing examining New Jersey's voter rolls.
"For years, those of us who said we were concerned... were told we were racist, xenophobic, conspiracy theorists," Van Drew said. "Now we're finding out there are thousands of individuals on the voter rolls that shouldn't be there."
Van Drew asserted that officials have identified more than 6,600 people who were in the country illegally and registered to vote, and he said some had cast ballots. He did not provide supporting documentation during the interview. He argued the number could be higher because, he said, not everyone would acknowledge their immigration status.
"We're going to work on this," Van Drew said. "I'm having a hearing. As you know, I'm chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee in Judiciary, and we're going to dig into this."
He said his committee has submitted questions to Gov. Phil Murphy's administration regarding the state's voter registration system.
"We've sent a bunch of questions to the governor's office. Hopefully they will answer them."
Van Drew said requiring identification to register or vote is a common-sense safeguard.
"If you're going to vote, you have a picture ID," he said. "It's not a big deal. We need it for everything else."
He argued that identification is already required in many everyday situations, including entering certain government buildings and making other regulated transactions.
Supporters of voter identification laws say such measures help ensure election integrity and strengthen public confidence in elections. Opponents argue that documented instances of ineligible voting are rare and that additional identification requirements could create barriers for some eligible voters. The SAVE Act remains the subject of national political debate and has not become law.
Van Drew said he intends to continue pursuing the issue through congressional oversight and legislation.
About the Author
Scott Stephens
Scott has been an on-air personality, producer and newscaster for 30+ years. He has been a mainstay in the South Jersey Community and on the air across many different area stations. Scott can currently be heard on Kool 98.3 and News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
