Congressman Jeff Van Drew says New Jersey's acknowledgment that thousands of non-citizens were mistakenly registered to vote underscores the need for stronger election safeguards, arguing the issue could have affected close local races.
Appearing Wednesday on WOND's The Lorry Young Show, Van Drew discussed reports that approximately 6,600 non-citizens were mistakenly registered through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission between 2023 and 2024.
Van Drew said even relatively small numbers of improper registrations could have consequences in closely contested elections.
"There are members of Congress who won by single digits... eight votes... ten votes," he said. "Many elections at the local level are won by 50 votes, 60 votes, 10 votes. This matters a lot."
Van Drew argued that officials should focus on correcting election procedures rather than dismissing concerns.
"We were told that we were lying... that we were wrong," he said. "Now, guess what? It was all true. There are problems here. Just don't call people names. Just fix the damn problem."
The congressman also voiced support for the federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
"If you are voting in an American election, you need to be an American," Van Drew said. "When you register to vote, you have to have some stuff to prove that you're an American."
Van Drew criticized the U.S. Senate for failing to advance the legislation despite repeated approval in the House.
"We have voted on it numerous times in the House and got it through," he said. "The U.S. Senate... we don't have the votes in the Senate."
The congressman's comments reflect his views on the issue. State officials have said they are removing ineligible registrations identified through the MVC process and maintain that safeguards exist to protect election integrity.
