Yesterday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey Division of Elections, alleging the state is unlawfully withholding public records related to voter roll maintenance and voting machine audit logs from the June 2025 primary election.
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey in Mercer County, comes after the committee launched a probe into national voter registration lists. In March, the RNC sent public records requests to top election officials across the U.S., seeking documents related to voter roll list maintenance.
The lawsuit claims that New Jersey violated the state's Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and common law right of access by delaying, ignoring, or denying the RNC’s requests for documents submitted on March 25, 2025.
The lawsuit also notes that the Division of Elections rejected requests for voting machine audit logs, citing technical and security exemptions under OPRA without providing specific justifications. The OPRA was instituted in New Jersey in 2002 and requires records custodians to fulfill all requests within seven days.
The RNC is asking a judge to order the state to provide the documents, and argues the records are critical for ensuring transparency and accountability in elections. In a RNC press release, Chairman Michael Whatley emphasized the Need for Fair and Secure Elections, stating, “State officials are slow walking access to records about voting machines and voter roll maintenance. The RNC is taking legal action because the people of New Jersey have a right to know that their elections are being run fairly, securely, and in full compliance with the law.”
The RNC also sent a letter yesterday to the DOJ, requesting an investigation into the New Jersey Secretary of State’s violation of the National Voter Registration Act (“NVRA”). SoS Tahesha Way is New Jersey’s chief election officer, and under the NVRA is required by law to make “all records” pertaining to the state’s voter list maintenance system available to the public.
Additionally, the RNC sent a letter to Way requesting an explanation for the state’s refusal to comply with OPRA. On July 11, 2025, Defendants provided partial responses to three of eighteen requests, but otherwise provided no assurance if or when the Secretary would complete the production or comply with fifteen other requests.
Thank you RNC for supporting Election Integrity and keeping our elections officials accountable to “We the People.”
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