By Josh Findlay
When voters cast their ballots, they should be confident those votes are handled with care, not hidden behind closed doors. Yet in Passaic County, New Jersey, election officials are doing the opposite. The county’s Board of Elections has reportedly blocked the installation of security cameras in ballot storage areas and refused to require a sign-in or sign-out log for those accessing mail-in ballots. With the election just weeks away, this isn’t a minor oversight—it’s a failure of election administration.
Voters deserve confidence, not confusion, in how ballots are managed. Every decision that limits transparency erodes public trust, especially in a state that has already faced serious election controversies. If Passaic County officials think New Jerseyans will simply look the other way, they’re mistaken. Transparency isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of election integrity.
In light of ongoing concerns about ballot security, the New Jersey Republican Party has taken the extraordinary step of requesting federal monitors in response to “disturbing reports” from Passaic County.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Passaic County has been on the wrong side of the news when it comes to elections. In 2020, Paterson’s city council race was marred by one of the most notorious mail-in ballot fraud scandals in recent memory. Four individuals, including a sitting councilman and a councilman-elect, were charged with voter fraud and tampering with mail-in ballots. The incident was so serious that a judge threw out the entire election and ordered a new one.
The Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database details the case clearly: hundreds of mail-in ballots were improperly bundled and submitted, some ballots were found stuffed in mailboxes, and others never made it to voters at all. The result was chaos, confusion, and outrage—a stain on New Jersey’s election record that should have prompted reform.
Instead, Passaic County officials seem to have learned the wrong lesson. Rather than increasing safeguards and embracing transparency, they’ve decided to double down on secrecy. Blocking cameras and refusing to keep a log of who accesses ballots doesn’t strengthen election security—it undermines it. These are basic accountability measures, not partisan tools. Every responsible election administrator, regardless of party, should welcome oversight that protects both voters and officials from suspicion.
With less than a month until voters cast their ballots, the Board of Elections should be focused on restoring public confidence—not weakening it. Installing security cameras in ballot storage areas is common sense. Maintaining a log of who handles mail-in ballots is basic practice. These steps protect the system from both misconduct and false claims of misconduct. Transparency protects everyone.
It’s unacceptable that Passaic County officials are ignoring these fundamental safeguards, especially given their history. When voters remember headlines about ballot fraud and now hear about hidden ballot rooms, how can they be expected to trust that their vote will count?
Restoring that trust starts with accountability. The county should immediately reverse its decision, install security cameras, and implement a clear sign-in/out policy for anyone with access to ballots. State officials and election monitors should ensure compliance. And voters across New Jersey should demand answers before it’s too late.
Because if Passaic County can block cameras and restrict oversight without consequence, what’s to stop other jurisdictions from following suit?
New Jersey’s voters deserve better. They deserve to know their ballots are handled with the same integrity they bring to the voting booth.
The bottom line is simple: Elections belong to the people, not to the bureaucrats who run them behind closed doors.
If Passaic County won’t protect transparency, then how can New Jersey voters possibly trust the process?
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Josh Findlay serves as director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s (TPPF) National Election Protection Project and hosts TPPF’s Election Protection Project Podcast. He previously led election integrity efforts nationwide as the Republican National Committee’s national director of election integrity.
