SENATE REPUBLICANS TO GOVERNOR HOCHUL: PASS COMMON SENSE ELECTION REFORMS NOW

July 24, 2026

Election Integrity

election-reform-package-letter-to-governor.pdf

In the wake of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill admitting the stunning news that 6,600 non-citizens were registered to vote and 400 voted, members of the New York Senate Republicans today sent a letter to Governor Hochul urging her to work with the legislature to pass a commonsense election reforms package that will ensure our elections are secure.

“We write in light of the stunning admission by New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill that roughly 6,600 individuals were registered to vote in New Jersey after they indicated through the State's Motor Vehicle Commission that they were not U.S. citizens. Even more concerning, approximately 400 of these non-citizens cast a ballot in an election.

These revelations are deeply troubling and raise legitimate concerns for New York. Recently, New York Democrats passed similar lenient voter registration procedures that warrant an immediate review to ensure that only eligible citizens are registering to vote,” the letter reads.

“Non-citizens should not be able to cast a single vote in this country, full stop. But with New York’s Green Light Law and refusal to mandate Voter ID, what we’re seeing in New Jersey is potentially a fraction of the election fraud taking place here. The Senate GOP has long called for measures to ensure safe and secure elections, which unfortunately fall on deaf ears in the Democrat-controlled legislature. We’re calling on the governor to take common sense measures to guarantee the free and fair elections New Yorkers deserve,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, SD 62.

“New Yorkers deserve to know that every legal vote counts and that only eligible citizens are casting ballots. We already know administrative mistakes can happen, and what we’re seeing in New Jersey should be a wake-up call for every state. Instead of allowing similar systemic issues to persist, we should put common-sense safeguards in place now. Requiring voter ID, auditing our voter rolls, and repealing policies that invite unnecessary risk aren’t partisan ideas—they’re practical steps to protect the integrity of our elections and restore confidence in the system,” said Senator Mark Walczyk, ranking member of the Senate Elections Committee.

“What happened in New Jersey should be a wake-up call for every state, including our own. Thousands of non-citizens registered were registered to vote and hundreds of ballots were cast, all because a system meant to filter out ineligible registrants failed to do its job. We cannot assume that won't happen here. We need common sense reforms like voter ID. You need an ID to open a bank account, board a plane or buy alcohol. Voting for the people who run our government should be held to at least that same standard. We also need a repeal of the Green Light Law and a full audit of our voter rolls, now, not after we have our own scandal to clean up,” said Senator George Borrello, member of the Senate Elections Committee. “The foundation of our democratic republic is trust that our elections are fair and every honest vote counts. Government must restore that trust, because perception becomes reality.”

In the letter, members of the Senate Republican Conference urged a commonsense package of election security reforms to be taken up in the legislature that include:

Repeal the Green Light Law;
Enact a voter ID requirement; and
Conduct a complete audit of New York’s voter rolls to ensure only eligible U.S. citizens are registered to vote.
Veto any future legislation that would create vulnerabilities in our election process, such as Senate Bill No. 88-A, sponsored by Senator Gianaris. This legislation passed the Senate this legislative session along party lines and would automatically enroll Medicaid recipients to vote. This is extremely problematic since non-citizens 65 years and older are enrolled in the State’s Medicaid program and the Medicaid program is rife with fraud.

“These are reasonable and widely supported measures that will protect the integrity of our elections without placing an undue burden on eligible voters,” concludes the letter.

Towards the end of the legislative session, members of the Republican Conference blasted Democrats in New York for passing S.88A (sponsored by Senator Gianaris) that would provide automatic voter registration for those applying for or re-enrolling in Medicaid – including ineligible or fraudulent enrollees – or applying for documentation at DMV.

Republicans in the Senate pointed out that this bill would pose a serious threat to the integrity of our elections. They noted that New York currently permits certain non-citizens aged 65 and older to enroll in Medicaid and pointed to a recent audit by the State Comptroller that identified multiple problems with the state’s process for identifying out-of-state Medicaid recipients. Senate Republicans contend that, without stronger safeguards, this legislation will result in non-citizens and out-of-state individuals being automatically registered to vote.

In contrast, Senate Republicans offered a common-sense amendment (S.1855, Senator Walczyk) that would require a valid government-issued photo ID in order to cast a ballot. Every single Senate Democrat voted against the commonsense bill that would protect our election integrity in New York.

Republicans in the Senate conference have vehemently opposed Albany Democrats who repeatedly attempt to rig the election process in their favor.

A full copy of the letter is attached.