The U.S. Justice Department was monitoring three municipalities in Middlesex County after reported incidents
MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- Complaints that voters were asked to show identification at polling places in three Middlesex County towns on Tuesday are under review by the U.S. Department of Justice, a county official said.
A sign posted at a polling location in Metuchen urged voters to have identification ready to show poll workers.Jim Vokral, administrator at the Middlesex County Board of Elections, said federal officials were monitoring procedures in Edison, New Brunswick and Perth Amboy -- all of which have large minority populations -- when issues were uncovered involving poll workers requesting identification from voters with limited English skills.
"Most of the time when voters have limited English skills, it is hard to understand and hear their names," said Vokral, adding that poll workers still should not be asking for identification.
According to state law, if you have voted in previous elections you are not required to provide identification.
The election monitoring was scheduled in advance, Vokral said.
In about a month, he expects the Justice Department to issue a report on its findings and any steps the county needs to take for future elections.
Though not federally required to take any steps, Vokral said the board of elections always seeks best voting practices.
Reached by email early Wednesday afternoon, the Justice Department said it was "declining to comment on what monitors observed" at the polls on Tuesday.
In addition to the three towns under review, signs posted at Metuchen polling station informed voters "please have ID ready for poll worker." The signs were removed Tuesday morning after the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union was alerted.
Vokral said Metuchen was not included in the federal review.
Vokral believes the majority of the incidents reported were likely misunderstandings as poll workers were attempting to locate names in the voter registration books.
He acknowledged that in some cases, certain poll workers might have exceeded their authority.
"I really don't know until I start looking further," Vokral said.
Voter laws vary from state to state. Currently, 31 states enforce voter identification requirements, including 16 that require voters show a photo ID.
In New Jersey, voters can be asked to show identification in certain cases. According to the New Jersey Voters' Bill of Rights, the following voters must show identification:
- "If you registered to vote by mail in this County after January 1, 2003, and never voted in a federal election in the County, you were required to provide identification.
- If you did not provide identification before voting for the first time at the polling place, you must show the board workers identification today.
- You did not complete section 5 of the New Jersey voter registration form (section 5 requires a Driver's License #, last 4 digits of the social security number if you have no driver's license, or an affirmation you do not have either set of numbers), and you did not respond to a request for such information, you must show the board workers identification today.
- You were a mail-in registrant and did provide your driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number, but the numbers could not be verified, you must show the board workers identification today.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.