The “motor voter” bill, NJ S481 (18R), which has already been approved by one committee, is expected to be amended when the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee meets. | AP Photo N.J. bill would allow automatic voter registration at welfare, parole offices

New Jersey Democrats on Thursday vastly expanded a bill that would automatically register New Jersey residents to vote at Motor Vehicle Commission offices to also include a wide swath of state agencies such as welfare offices and the parole board.

The "motor voter" bill, NJ S 481 (18R), was amended and approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday with little discussion, despite the far-reaching change.


The amendment was pushed by the progressive New Jersey Working Families Alliance, which said that limiting automatic voter registration to Motor Vehicle Commission offices could favor more well-off New Jerseyans over poorer residents.

"Automatic voter registration is a key tenet in boosting participation in New Jersey's elections," the group wrote in an April 2 memo to the bill's sponsors. "However, considering the statistics on voter registration demographic trends, limiting AVR to MVC agencies could increase voter registration disparities between communities of color and urban residents who tend to obtain driver's licenses at a lower percentage than suburban and white eligible voters."

The measure would make New Jersey one of only a few states to adopt an automatic voter registration program that goes beyond motor vehicle offices. The bill now awaits votes in the full state Senate and Assembly.

"We're going to include other state agencies that interact with potential voters, whether it's the county Medicaid offices or other departments or agencies that interact with citizens who may not be registered," said state Sen. Joe Vitale, the bill’s sponsor.

Under the amendment, obtained first by POLITICO, any state agency that the secretary of state confirms "already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address" would be authorized to automatically register clients to vote, as long as they follow the same rules and protocols as the Motor Vehicle Commission.

Under New Jersey law, many agencies are already required to have voter registration materials on site. The bill would allow them to register voters automatically, unless the voters choose to opt out. The bill wouldn’t require agencies to enact automatic voter registration, but it would be an option if approved by the secretary of state.

New Jersey residents convicted of crimes are not currently allowed to vote until they've finished their sentences, which includes parole or probation. But Analilia Mejia, executive director of the Working Families Alliance, said this would help get them on the rolls once they've completed their sentences.

"This doesn't change when you become eligible. We're still fighting for that," Mejia said, "but at a minimum, this would help ensure that as people become eligible, that we're using as many places as possible to turn them into voters."

The change wasn’t welcomed by most Republicans. And state Sen. Samuel Thompson (R-Middlesex), a member of the budget committee, said the bill does not do enough to ensure that people who are not eligible to vote are not put on the rolls.

"I was concerned about the possibility of fraud that they create with this bill as it is," Thompson said in a phone interview. "It does not address that at all. In fact it makes it even worse."

Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie in 2016 vetoed the more limited bill that would only register voters automatically at the MVC. But the new version is expected to be signed by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy if it reaches his desk. Thompson sounded resigned to it becoming law.

“The Democrats have the votes, and no doubt Murphy will sign it," Thompson said. “With the votes they have, it’s hard for us to do anything to slow them down."

Assemblyman Harold Wirths (R-Sussex) told the committee that he feared the law would create “chaos" at offices and that it was unnecessary. “It’s very easy to register now. If you can’t take the initiative to simply check a box or care enough to register to vote, I don’t think taxpayers should be subsidizing it," Wirths said.

But one Republican Assemblyman, Ryan Peters of Burlington County, voted yes to advance the bill out of committee.

The amended language would likely benefit Democrats, who already have a 900,000 voter registration advantage over Republicans and control the governor's office and both legislative houses, by targeting poor and inner-city residents highly likely to vote Democratic.

Vitale, the sponsor, said that's not the intent.

"It's meant to expand the opportunity for people to expand on the Democratic process. Whether it's Mendham or Woodbridge, everyone will have the same opportunity," Vitale said.

Ryan Hutchins contributed to this report.