New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said her administration is working “around the clock” to ensure that the mid-terms elections on Nov. 3 take place without issue.
The task seemingly grows more challenging by the day as the administration has to ensure that only those eligible to vote do so — and that those wishing to vote by mail are able to do this.
Then, there’s this: Elections in New Jersey are overseen by Secretary of State Dale Caldwell, the cabinet position he holds as Lt. Governor. Caldwell, of course, is the subject of an ethics investigation.
Sherrill, during a brief moment with the media Wednesday night at Pino’s Pizza & Restaurant in Woodbridge, detailed the efforts the state is making in the wake of a July revelation that 6,600 noncitizens were mistakenly registered between June 2023 and June 2024.
“We have been working around the clock to make sure that our elections are ready to go, that they are fair and safe,” she said. “That has involved ensuring that we have cleared people off the ballots that should not be on the ballots, ensuring that we’re not taking anyone off the ballots that should be on them.”
She did not address Caldwell, but she did mention his office.
“We’re doing everything we can as a state, and certainly in the Secretary of State’s office, to run a fair election,” she said.
That includes, Sherrill said, pushing back against efforts led by President Donald Trump to curtail mail-in ballots.
“What we are still contending with is constant attacks and threats of chaos from the federal government,” she said. “As you know, the president has attempted to stop all mail-in voting as he continues to try to take control of every voter roll in the country.
“We are pushing back against that, and right now we’ve been successful in court, but this is still ongoing.”
Ongoing also could describe the investigation of Caldwell. Sherrill, as has been her way since the New Jersey Globe broke the news last Friday, spoke only in generalities.
“I’m not going to confirm or deny whether there’s an ongoing investigation, but what I can commit to people is that any complaints are taken very seriously, and certainly anyone who has a complaint lodged against them, their rights are protected, and they have a full airing and a full review,” she said.
