RNC Sues New Jersey Election Officials Over Voter Roll Records

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The Republican National Committee and New Jersey Republican leaders filed a lawsuit against state election officials and five counties, alleging the officials failed to release federally mandated voter roll maintenance records, according to RNC statements reported Sept. 23, 2026 [1].

The defendants named in the suit are election officials in Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, the RNC said [1]. The complaint follows state admissions that more than 6,600 noncitizens were added to New Jersey's voter rolls, some of whom voted in past elections, according to the RNC [1].

The filing marks the latest in a series of election integrity lawsuits the RNC has brought against New Jersey and other states. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said the committee is demanding transparency from officials who have withheld records that would explain how noncitizens were registered [1].

Lawsuit Seeks Voter Roll Maintenance Records

The RNC said the records it seeks are required by federal law and pertain to how voter rolls are maintained [1]. According to the complaint, the requested documents would show how noncitizens were added to voter rolls and whether they were removed after being identified [1].

The lawsuit seeks to compel disclosure of the records from county and state election offices. The RNC alleged the records are being withheld in violation of federal requirements, though no court ruling on the claims had been announced as of the filing date [1].

Congressional investigators are also probing the presence of noncitizens on voter rolls, the RNC said [1]. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which governs voter list maintenance, has been the subject of ongoing litigation over whether states may remove noncitizens from rolls within 90 days of an election [2].

RNC Chairman, Lawmaker Issue Statements

RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said, "The RNC exposed noncitizens on New Jersey's voter rolls. Now, election officials are hiding the records that would tell voters how it happened. The RNC won't stand for it" [1].

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) said New Jerseyans deserve complete transparency following Gov. Sherrill's admission that over 6,600 noncitizens were added to voter rolls [1]. "Election officials must immediately release these records, so voters get the complete truth," Kean said, according to the RNC statement [1].

The statements reflect a broader push by the RNC to obtain voter roll data from states ahead of the 2026 midterms. The committee has launched a multimillion-dollar election integrity operation across 17 states, with dedicated directors, local attorneys, poll workers and election observers being put in place before the midterms [3]. Gruters has announced 130 lawsuits across 32 states, according to the RNC [3].

Background: Prior Reports and Congressional Review

The lawsuit follows reports that more than 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote in New Jersey, some of whom participated in past elections, according to the RNC and prior reports [1]. The RNC has previously sued the state over similar voter roll matters, according to its statements [1].

The RNC has filed election integrity lawsuits in multiple states, including Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Jersey, Virginia and Nebraska, each targeting what the committee describes as loopholes allowing non-residents to vote [1]. In one case, the U.S. Supreme Court partially revived an Arizona law requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration following a petition by the RNC, according to reporting [4].

Academic research cited by the RNC shows that noncitizens vote in sufficient numbers to alter election outcomes and tend to favor Democratic candidates, according to the committee [1]. Mail-in ballot policies have been a recurring subject of litigation, with the Supreme Court ruling 5-4 in June 2026 that federal Election Day statutes do not require mail-in ballots to be physically received by Election Day [5].

Next Steps

The lawsuit asks the court to order release of the records sought by the RNC. No hearing date was immediately announced, according to the RNC [1].

The RNC said the case is part of a broader election integrity campaign ahead of the 2026 midterms. The committee has concentrated resources on pre-election litigation, including poll worker parity cases and voter roll maintenance disputes, according to prior reporting [6].

Officials in the named counties and New Jersey state election offices did not immediately comment, according to the RNC [1]. The Michigan Supreme Court recently ruled that the state Republican Party and the RNC can proceed with a lawsuit accusing the city of Flint of failing to maintain partisan balance among poll workers during the 2022 elections, reversing lower court decisions that said the parties lacked standing to sue [6].