ACLU-NJ lawyer calls new federal Election Task Force a “threat to democracy”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced the formation of a new Election Integrity Task Force on Wednesday, aimed at enforcing federal election laws and supporting the implementation of President Trump’s March 25 executive order on election security.

The task force, led by acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, will coordinate efforts among federal prosecutors, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies.

Its stated goals include enhancing information sharing among election officials, ensuring compliance with voter list maintenance requirements, and investigating election-related crimes such as voter registration fraud and foreign interference.

“We and our federal partners are committed to ensuring the integrity of elections here in the District of New Jersey,” Habba said in a press release. “The Election Integrity Task Force will take all appropriate steps to achieve that integrity and will vigorously pursue anyone who violates or attempts to violate federal laws designed to safeguard elections.”

The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from voting rights advocates. Liza Weisberg, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of New Jersey, described the task force as a “threat to democracy,” citing what she called the unlawful and overreaching nature of the executive order it seeks to enforce.

Weisberg noted that a federal court has already blocked key parts of the order, including a provision that would require voters to show proof of citizenship, such as a passport, to register to vote in federal elections. Other contested elements of the order would provide federal agencies and private actors with broad access to state voter data, penalize states that count legally cast mail-in ballots after Election Day, and decertify voting machines nationwide.

“Like the executive order, the task force is not aimed at a real problem,” Weisberg said in a public statement. “It is premised on false, nativist, and thoroughly discredited narratives about fraudulent voting.”

The ACLU of New Jersey argues that voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that the task force may lead to aggressive voter purges based on flawed or outdated information, raising concerns over privacy and the potential disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

Weisberg also raised constitutional concerns, stating that the executive order undermines the authority of Congress, state governments, and the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission. The ACLU-NJ has pledged to challenge any implementation efforts it deems unlawful and continues to support state-level legislation such as the New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act, which aims to strengthen voting rights protections.

While the Department of Justice maintains that the task force is designed to uphold election integrity, opponents argue it could erode public confidence in the electoral system and disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.

Legal challenges to the executive order remain ongoing in multiple jurisdictions.