Republicans point to New Jersey voting glitch in final push for SAVE Act before Congress' summer recess

Key Points:

• The Trump administration is using a New Jersey case, where about 6,600 non-citizens were incorrectly registered to vote due to a software error, to push for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act before the Senate's summer recess.
• New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill confirmed fewer than 400 of these non-citizens actually voted, with no evidence that any elections were affected, and highlighted that the error stemmed from a flawed voter registration prompt during driver's license or ID card applications.
• President Trump and his administration allege, without evidence, that the number of non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey is much higher, citing unverified claims from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, while Democrats and voting rights groups criticize the SAVE Act as a voter suppression effort.
• The SAVE Act would require states to verify U.S. citizenship with documentary proof before voter registration and mandate photo ID at voting, along with purging non-citizens from voter rolls; opponents argue it could disenfranchise legitimate voters lacking proper documentation.
• The Department of Justice is investigating the New Jersey case and has requested detailed information on the non-citizens registered and those who voted, but Governor Sherrill's office accuses the DOJ of politicizing the issue and is cautious about sharing personal data.