Over six thousand non-citizens were registered to vote erroneously in the Garden State
Palmesano: What happened in New Jersey is concerning and must never happen in New York
From the office of Phil Palmesano,
Assemblymen Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown) and Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning) were joined by members of the Assembly Republican Conference to call for an immediate public oversight hearing to assess the security, integrity and fiscal oversight of the state’s voter registration systems. The request follows the recent disclosure by the state of New Jersey that approximately 6,600 non-citizens were erroneously registered to vote. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill blamed the issue on a software error in the state’s motor vehicle voter registration process.
Assemblymen Slater and Palmesano, the ranking Minority members on the Assembly Election Law and Ways and Means committees, respectively, noted in their letter that while there is no evidence New York has experienced a similar failure, it’s incumbent on lawmakers to ensure our voter registration system is protected. A copy of the letter can be seen here.
“New Jersey has a serious problem on its hands, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure we don’t run into a similar issue in New York,” Minority Leader Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said. “It’s entirely reasonable to believe that since non-eligible voters appeared on the rolls in New Jersey, it could happen in other states. Holding an oversight hearing is a proactive step – a responsible step – to assess New York’s own system.”
“New Yorkers deserve complete confidence in the integrity and security of our elections,” said Slater. “While there is no evidence that New York has experienced the same issue as New Jersey, we have a responsibility to proactively examine our own systems. An oversight hearing will provide transparency into how voter registration information is collected, verified, and shared, identify any vulnerabilities, and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly to protect the integrity of our elections.”
“Safeguarding our elections is of the utmost importance. What happened in New Jersey is concerning and must never happen in New York. Non-citizens should never be able to vote in elections; that is why taking the step to have an oversight hearing is so important. New Yorkers deserve to know the status of the integrity of elections and holding these hearings is a crucial part of that. When election systems fail, taxpayers are ultimately left to bear the costs of investigations, administrative corrections, and restoring public confidence. Ensuring our election laws are properly enforced protects both the integrity of the ballot box and the interests of New York taxpayers,” said Palmesano.
New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) maintains active contracts with the implicated vendor, IDEMIA. According to Open Book New York, the vendor holds 44 contracts with state agencies totaling approximately $579.5 million. In response to Gov. Sherrill’s statement blaming the registration mishap on a software flaw, IDEMIA responded by saying that any voter registration information it compiles must be reviewed by New Jersey’s Division of Elections before being utilized.
The letter from Assembly Republicans also highlighted New York’s Green Light Law, which allows non-citizens to obtain state-issued driver’s licenses, making accurate technological safeguards between DMV transactions and voter registration critical. Voter registration services also extend to other agencies handling public assistance, Medicaid, disability services, and additional government programs.
A joint hearing would provide the opportunity to hear from multiple entities, including the state Board of Elections, Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Information Technology, vendors with direct interaction with voter-registration information, and independent experts. Topics would include:
· Existing safeguards against erroneous voter registrations;
· Audits to detect potential system failures;
· Citizenship data collection, verification, and transmission processes;
· Vendor’s role and responsibilities, and comparison to New Jersey’s system;
· Internal controls across voter registration agencies;
· Corrective actions and planned improvements; and
· Procurement, contract oversight, performance, and fiscal impacts.
The Minority Conference stressed that the request is not an accusation of wrongdoing in New York, but rather an exercise of the Legislature’s constitutional oversight responsibility to protect election integrity, taxpayer dollars, and public trust.
Assemblyman Palmesano represents the 132nd District, which includes Schuyler County, Yates County and parts of Chemung County, Seneca County and Steuben County. For more information about Assemblyman Palmesano, please follow him on Facebook.
