The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, New Jersey, unveiled a new Election Integrity Task Force on Wednesday, designed to enhance the enforcement of federal election laws and back President Trump’s executive order issued on March 25, which focuses on election security. This initiative aims to strengthen the integrity of elections across the state.
At the helm of the task force is Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. The task force will consolidate efforts between various federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, in a collaborative approach to electoral oversight. Among its goals are improving communication between election officials, ensuring adherence to voter list maintenance regulations, and investigating potential election-related offenses, such as voter registration fraud and foreign intervention.
Habba asserted the commitment of her office and federal partners to uphold election integrity in New Jersey. In a press statement, she emphasized that the task force would take decisive action against anyone who violates or attempts to violate federal laws aimed at protecting elections.
However, the announcement has sparked significant backlash from advocates of voting rights. Liza Weisberg, a senior attorney with the ACLU of New Jersey, criticized the task force as a “threat to democracy,” calling the executive order upon which it is based both unlawful and excessive. She pointed out that a federal court has already blocked critical aspects of the executive order, notably a requirement for voters to provide proof of citizenship to register for federal elections.
Other contentious elements of the executive order would allow extensive access to state voter data for federal agencies and private entities, impose penalties on states that count legitimate mail-in ballots after Election Day, and aim to decertify voting machines on a nationwide scale.
Weisberg argued that the task force is not addressing a legitimate issue, but rather is founded on misleading narratives about fraudulent voting. The ACLU contends that incidents of voter fraud are extremely rare and expressed concerns that the task force might instigate aggressive purges of eligible voters based on outdated or erroneous information, jeopardizing voter privacy and access.
In addition to questioning the task force’s legal foundation, Weisberg warned that the executive order undermines the authority of Congress, state governments, and the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission. The ACLU of New Jersey has committed to contesting any actions it views as illegal and continues to advocate for state-level measures, like the New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act, designed to bolster voting rights protections.
While the Department of Justice insists that the task force is vital for maintaining election integrity, opponents argue that it risks diminishing public trust in the electoral system and may disproportionately affect less-advantaged communities across New Jersey. Ongoing legal challenges to the executive order are being pursued in several jurisdictions as opposition mounts.
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