New Jersey’s controversial automatic voter registration takes effect at the MVC

✅ New Jersey now automatically registers all eligible voters unless they opt out.

✅ Democrats say it boosts access and turnout.

✅ Republicans warn the change could allow non-citizens onto voter rolls.

Automatic voter registration is now opt-out at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, which has Republicans worried that non-citizens could get ballots.

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy signed 77 new laws, including one that overhauls the Automatic Voter Registration System at the MVC. The bill (S1636) passed in the State Legislature on party lines.

It'll have an impact anytime an individual gets or renews their driver's license or Real ID. The old system gave eligible citizens a prompt to register to vote or update their voter registration information.

How automatic voter registration will now work in New Jersey

Sponsor state Sen. Andrew Zwicker, D-Somerset, said the law updates the AVR to remove that prompt; every eligible citizen is now automatically registered to vote, and that information is sent to the secretary of state. A notice will then be sent to the individual to either choose their party affiliation or opt out entirely.

"Updating our AVR system has the power to increase voter registration and turnout due to the removal of registration barriers, especially for low-income communities and communities of color," Zwicker said.

The new law also sends the secretary of state all updates to voter registration information, such as a change in address.

Address changes and voter roll accuracy cited as key benefits

There's a lot of "leakage" between agencies, particularly at the MVC, according to Neal Ubriani, chief of policy at the Institute for Responsive Government.

"A lot of people tell MVC that they've moved, and that update never gets to the voter rolls. So they show up at the polls, and they're like, 'Why isn't my voter registration updated?' Or their ballot goes to the wrong address," Ubriani said.

Republicans warn of a lack of accountability

In a Facebook post, the New Jersey Assembly GOP raised concerns that the law allows automatic voter registration without a signature and lacks accountability if a non-citizen slips through the cracks and is registered to vote.

ANOTHER NEW LAW: Parents can now be charged for kids’ brawls

State Sen. Michael Testa, R-Atlantic, also said that the state shouldn't force people to register to vote. He said that in New Jersey, it's incredibly fast and easy to register to vote online.

"The ones that choose not to register, that's none of our business. They're not interested. The other ones, if you do get them registered, are these not the laziest, most apathetic people? And how does that help our electoral system?" Testa said.

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