SR97

A Senate Resolution strongly condemning federal efforts aimed at restricting voting.

Whereas, Any effort to prevent eligible citizens of the United States (US) from voting undermines democracy and is an affront to American ideals; and

Whereas, Yet, the President and Congress are pursuing efforts to make voting less accessible to Americans across the country; and

Whereas, On March 31, 2026, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on mail-in voting that attempts to impose new federal controls over how states administer elections, including creating federal citizenship lists, establishing new mail-in ballot transmission rules, and threatening enforcement against state and local election officials; and

Whereas, The Trump administration is once again overstepping its authority in an attempt to control an elections process that the US Constitution clearly delegates to the states and Congress; and

Whereas, Federal courts have blocked key portions of the Trump administration’s 2025 elections Executive Order, concluding that the President lacks the authority to direct federal election administration in areas reserved to the states and Congress; and

Whereas, Now, the Trump administration is ordering the US Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Social Security Administration, to use various databases and information sources to compile lists of US citizens residing in each state who will be 18 years or older at the time of the next election; and

Whereas, These databases contain sensitive information and any data matching would need to proceed with the utmost concern for data privacy and security, a process that would take years, not the few months that the order requires; and

Whereas, The use of incomplete or mismatched federal databases to create a federal citizenship list risks disenfranchising eligible voters, including elderly citizens, citizens with limited mobility, citizens who lack reliable transportation, naturalized citizens, members of the military, and other citizens legally entitled to vote under state and federal law; and

Whereas, The 2026 Executive Order requires states to provide the names of registered voters who are eligible to receive mail-in ballots to the US Postal Service (USPS) in advance of each regularly scheduled federal election; and

Whereas, This Executive Order inserts a non-election agency into a sensitive role in the elections process by ordering the USPS to withhold ballots from people who are not on the state voter lists; and

Whereas, State and local officials who do not comply with the order are threatened with a loss of federal funds and legal consequences, which unjustly pressures and attempts to coerce states into adopting these cumbersome and unnecessary procedures that disrupt the voting process; and

Whereas, Congress is considering the “SAVE America Act,” which would mandate that every person provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or American passport when registering to vote in federal elections and to provide photo identification that matches the citizenship documentation when voting; and

Whereas, Many Americans who have changed their names since birth have photo identification with names that do not match their birth certificates; and

Whereas, Requiring documentary proof of citizenship tied to birth records could disenfranchise millions of Americans, particularly women who have changed their names due to marriage or divorce; and

Whereas, The act’s requirement for in-person voter registration or updates with elections officials would effectively end voter registration online, by mail, and through community registration drives where elections officials are not present, thus disproportionately impacting working parents, caregivers, the elderly, and survivors of domestic violence who may lack the required documentation or stable records; and

Whereas, While the proponents of these measures argue that they are necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting, there is overwhelming evidence that it is extremely rare for non-citizens to vote in elections, and these measures are far more likely to prevent many US citizens from voting than to address those limited instances; and

Whereas, New Jersey believes in ensuring that every citizen’s right to vote should not be compromised; and

Whereas, Free, fair, and accessible elections are a core constitutional function of the states and a cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and this Executive Order and the “SAVE America Act” threaten to undermine the integrity of the elections process in this State and across the nation; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House reaffirms its commitment to protecting the voting rights of all eligible US citizens and condemns President Trump’s Executive Order aimed at restricting mail-in voting and urges Congress to reject any efforts that would prevent eligible US citizens from voting, including the “SAVE America Act.”

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, each member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

This resolution strongly condemns President Trump’s Executive Order aimed at restricting mail-in voting.

On March 31, 2026, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on mail-in voting that attempts to impose new federal controls over how states administer elections, including creating federal citizenship lists, establishing new mail-in ballot transmission rules, and threatening enforcement against state and local election officials.

The Trump administration is once again overstepping its authority in an attempt to control an elections process that the United States (US) Constitution clearly delegates to states and Congress. Federal courts have blocked key portions of this administration’s 2025 elections Executive Order, concluding that the President lacks the authority to direct federal election administration in areas reserved to the states and Congress.

Now, the Trump administration is ordering the US Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Social Security Administration, to use various databases and information sources to compile lists of US citizens residing in each state who will be 18 years or older at the time of the next election. These databases contain sensitive information and any data matching would need to proceed with the utmost concern for data privacy and security, a process that would take years, not the few months that the order requires. The use of incomplete or mismatched federal databases to create a federal citizenship list risks disenfranchising eligible voters.

The 2026 Executive Order requires states to provide the names of registered voters who are eligible to receive mail-in ballots to the US Postal Service (USPS) in advance of each regularly scheduled federal election and orders the USPS to withhold ballots from people who are not on the state voter lists. State and local officials who do not comply with the order are threatened with a loss of federal funds and legal consequences.

Congress is considering the “SAVE America Act,” which would mandate that every person provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or American passport when registering to vote in federal elections and to provide photo identification that matches the citizenship documentation when voting. Many Americans who have changed their names since birth have photo identification with names that do not match their birth certificates. Requiring documentary proof of citizenship tied to birth records could disenfranchise millions of Americans, particularly women who have changed their names due to marriage or divorce. The act’s requirement for in-person voter registration or updates with elections officials would effectively end voter registration online, by mail, and through community registration drives where elections officials are not present, thus disproportionately impacting working parents, caregivers, the elderly, and survivors of domestic violence who may lack the required documentation or stable records.

While the proponents of these measures argue that they are necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting, there is overwhelming evidence that it is extremely rare for non-citizens to vote in elections, and these measures are far more likely to prevent many US citizens from voting than to address those limited instances. New Jersey believes in ensuring that every citizen’s right to vote should not be compromised. Free, fair, and accessible elections are a core constitutional function of the states and a cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and this Executive Order and the “SAVE America Act” threaten to undermine the integrity of the elections process in this State and across the nation. Therefore, New Jersey reaffirms its commitment to protecting the voting rights of all eligible US citizens and condemns President Trump’s Executive Order aimed at restricting mail-in voting and urges Congress to reject any efforts that would prevent eligible US citizens from voting, including the “SAVE America Act.”