RNC Sues New Jersey Over Election Record Requests

The Republican National Committee (RNC) took legal action against New Jersey’s election department on Thursday, claiming it didn’t fulfill requests under the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA).

In the lawsuit, the RNC stated that they first requested information on March 25 about voter role maintenance and voting machine seal audit logs. They followed up with another request on June 3, but New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way failed to respond for over three months. The RNC tried to obtain these records again on June 16 and July 3, receiving partial replies to just three out of eighteen requests.

The RNC also contacted the U.S. Department of Justice, urging an investigation into what they see as potential non-compliance with the National Voting Registration Act. They noted that New Jersey’s voter registration rate seems disproportionately high compared to national figures. Additionally, they asked for clarity on why the state wasn’t complying with OPRA.

“State officials were slow to provide access to voting machines and records relating to voter roles,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley communicated to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We believe New Jersey residents have the right to ensure that their elections comply with the law.”

Interestingly, OPRA, established in New Jersey in 2002, mandates that public records requests should be fulfilled within seven days. According to reports, the state’s election division overlooked the RNC’s initial demands.

This lawsuit follows an RNC investigation into election integrity conducted in May. The committee plans to send letters to election officials in 48 states and Washington, D.C., asking for documentation on how they maintain accurate voter rolls, as New Jersey is said to have not complied. Previously, the RNC had also filed a lawsuit against Arizona’s Secretary of State Adrian Fontes earlier in June for a similar issue.