Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, stated that the recent discovery of approximately 6,600 noncitizens mistakenly eligible to vote does not warrant the passage of President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act. He emphasized that the clerical error is not connected to the absence of federal voter ID requirements. "Nothing in the SAVE Act would have prevented a clerical error like we've seen in Texas and Oregon and New Jersey," Booker said, advocating for the protection of voting systems.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced the removal of these noncitizens from the voter rolls, attributing the issue to a "serious software error" in the state's Motor Vehicle System. The situation has arisen as Trump pressures Senate Republicans to support the SAVE Act, which faces significant opposition from Democrats and some GOP members.
Booker criticized the SAVE Act, claiming it would disenfranchise millions of Americans. He noted that Sherrill is investigating the circumstances that allowed noncitizens to register to vote and has ordered their removal from the rolls. "We take this very seriously in New Jersey," Booker stated, adding that accountability is essential.
Despite his opposition to the SAVE Act, Booker mentioned that there should be proof of citizenship for voting, but this requirement should be managed at the state level, even for federal elections. He highlighted the lack of a national standard for identifying voting system errors, complicating efforts to assess the issue's extent. Supporters of the SAVE Act argue it would help address these problems. Booker expressed concern over the political exploitation of the situation, stating, "I hate how it's being weaponized by some people to advance schemes that actually would hurt Americans."