JACKSON, N.J. – New Jersey’s latest election lawsuit is drawing a charge of hypocrisy from one Ocean County Republican.
Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-Ocean) criticized the Sherrill administration this week for joining litigation challenging new U.S. Postal Service requirements governing mail-in ballots, arguing that New Jersey should be strengthening election safeguards after its recent noncitizen voter-registration debacle — not fighting them.
“New Jersey is the last state that should be arguing voter integrity is not necessary after our most recent fiasco allowing noncitizens to register to vote,” McGuckin said.
The controversy comes after Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed in July that at least 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens at the Motor Vehicle Commission were nevertheless registered to vote between June 2023 and June 2024. According to the administration’s latest update, roughly 340 ultimately voted and approximately 5,100 registrations have since been removed.
Meanwhile, New Jersey joined other states challenging new USPS rules requiring election officials to provide lists of eligible mail voters and submit ballot-envelope designs for federal approval, including trackable barcodes. USPS has warned that noncompliant ballots will not be delivered.
The U.S. Supreme Court dealt the blue state attorneys general a setback Monday, ruling that the challengers lacked standing and allowing the requirements to move forward.
McGuckin argues the episode also highlights a broader problem: New Jersey’s attorney general has too much latitude to drag the state into litigation without legislative approval.
His bill, A4780, would require the Senate and Assembly to approve a joint resolution before the attorney general could join litigation in state or federal court.
“Before an unelected attorney general acts on her own to file such a lawsuit, the Legislature as a co-equal branch of state government, should be required to approve the same,” McGuckin said.
A4780 is currently awaiting consideration in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
