Booker Stands Against SAVE Act Amid New Jersey Noncitizen Voter Registration Scandal

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has continued his opposition to President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, contending that the recent discovery of approximately 6,600 noncitizens improperly registered to vote in his state does not support the legislation’s passage. Booker maintains that the error stems from a clerical mistake rather than deficiencies in federal voter identification protocols. He stated that the proposed measure would not have prevented similar errors documented in Texas, Oregon, and New Jersey.

New Jersey Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill disclosed last week that her state had removed roughly 6,600 noncitizens from voter rolls who had been eligible to cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election. The governor attributed the problem to a “serious software error” within New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle System, immediately ordering an investigation and the removal of all affected individuals upon discovery.

Trump has been pressing Senate Republicans to advance the SAVE Act, though some GOP members have expressed reluctance and Democrats have mounted unified opposition. Booker characterized the legislation as a “massive voter suppression bill,” arguing that requiring in-person citizen documentation would disenfranchise millions of Americans. He warned that the measure “would stop millions of Americans from voting.”

Despite his firm stance against the SAVE Act, Booker acknowledged to Fox News Digital that voting requirements should include proof of citizenship. However, he contended that such safeguards should remain under state jurisdiction rather than federal mandate, even in presidential elections, noting that states bear constitutional responsibility for managing voting procedures and enforcing related laws.

Currently, no uniform national standard exists for identifying or reporting voting system errors comparable to New Jersey’s situation, making it difficult to gauge how widespread such problems may be. Republicans supporting the SAVE Act argue the legislation would help identify and address these issues systematically. Booker concluded that while New Jersey will resolve its own problems, he opposes efforts to weaponize the incident to advance what he views as harmful voting policies.