TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Democrats are moving to expand restrictions on law enforcement near polling places just days after another noncitizen admitted to illegally voting in a presidential election — and amid renewed warnings from the Sherrill administration about supposed federal interference in the upcoming midterms.
The Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee, chaired by Democrat Alexander “Avi” Schnall, is scheduled to consider A5641 on Thursday morning, October 22, at 10 a.m. in the State House Annex.
The legislation, dubbed the “Election Integrity and Voter Protection Act,” would restrict the presence of active-duty military personnel and certain law enforcement officers near polling places and ballot drop boxes.
New Jersey law already generally prohibits police officers from remaining within 100 feet of polling places, subject to exceptions for official assistance and other permitted activities. The new proposal would impose additional restrictions.
The timing hasn’t escaped the attention of Assembly Republicans.
“In July, @GovSherrillNJ said Trump wants voters to walk ‘a gauntlet of ICE officers to vote,’” the Assembly Republican Office posted on X. “This week, a Jamaican, living in Bridgewater on a green card, pleaded guilty to illegally voting in the presidential election. Today, Democrats are holding a hearing on a bill to ban law enforcement from polling places. Connect the dots.”
The Republican criticism follows another confirmed case of illegal noncitizen voting in New Jersey.
On Monday, October 19th, Gaye Tyndale-Simpson, 55, of Bridgewater, pleaded guilty in federal court to voting illegally in the November 2024 presidential election.
According to U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer’s office, Tyndale-Simpson is a Jamaican citizen who has never been a United States citizen. She admitted to one count of voting by an alien in a federal election before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton.
The offense carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for February 24, 2027.
The case was investigated by federal authorities, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
It also comes as New Jersey continues grappling with serious questions about the integrity of its voter rolls.
State officials previously disclosed that approximately 6,600 individuals who indicated they were not U.S. citizens nevertheless became registered voters through the Motor Vehicle Commission. Approximately 340 individuals registered through the identified MVC error subsequently voted, according to the administration’s disclosures.
The controversy has attracted congressional scrutiny, including a House Judiciary Committee subpoena issued this week after months of unsuccessful efforts to obtain records from the Sherrill administration.
Meanwhile, as Save Jersey reported on October 19th, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has been raising the specter of federal interference in New Jersey’s November election.
An election-security announcement from Davenport’s office included a separate section explicitly labeled “Federal Threats,” but identified no specific federal agency, planned action or incident behind the warning.
“The Attorney General and LPS are also preparing for the possibility of federal interference with New Jersey’s elections,” the release stated. “In addition to responding to any unlawful actions, the Attorney General will provide updated guidance as warranted.”
That warning came despite the administration’s continuing disclosures about problems with New Jersey’s own voter-registration system.
On October 7th, Sherrill announced approximately 1,090 additional records requiring attention, including roughly 750 registrations processed despite applicants answering “no” to an age-eligibility question and another 340 records connected to MVC re-entry events dating back to 2016. The administration said neither category involved noncitizens.
The juxtaposition is striking: New Jersey officials are warning about hypothetical federal interference while federal investigators are prosecuting actual cases of illegal noncitizen voting and Congress is demanding answers about thousands of improper registrations.
With Election Day less than two weeks away, Trenton Democrats are prioritizing additional restrictions on law enforcement near polling places while significant questions about the state’s voter-registration failures remain unresolved.
The question Republicans are raising is simple: Why is Trenton more concerned about police near the polls than noncitizens getting onto the voter rolls in the first place?
