Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia has renewed her call for New Jersey to implement voter identification requirements at polling stations. She criticized Democratic lawmakers for blocking what she described as a widely supported measure.
“Voter ID isn’t extreme. Ignoring 80% of voters is,” said Fantasia (R-Sussex). “What’s extreme is stonewalling a basic safeguard that voters across the political spectrum already agree on.”
Fantasia referenced a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, which reported that 83% of Americans support requiring government-issued photo identification to vote. She also cited a 2024 Gallup poll indicating that the same percentage of respondents believe first-time voters should show proof of citizenship.
“This is a basic safeguard,” Fantasia said. “If you need ID to board a plane, buy a beer or enter a public building, you should need it to vote. Elections should meet that same standard.”
The Assemblywoman argued the issue is gaining urgency as federal lawmakers debate the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.
Fantasia’s proposal, Assembly Bill A197, was originally introduced in 2018 by then-Assemblyman Parker Space but has not advanced in the state Legislature.
She also highlighted recent voter registration data reported by New Jersey Globe showing an increase in unaffiliated voters and new Republicans while registered Democrats decreased last month.
“Democrats are losing their own voters,” Fantasia said. “Maybe they should stop listening to the most extreme voices in their party and explain why they keep dismissing what people actually want.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, thirty-six states have some form of voter ID requirement at polling places, and courts have upheld these laws.
John DiMaio represents District 23, including Hackettstown, and has served in various legislative roles such as Appropriations Officer and Budget Officer before becoming Minority Leader in 2022. He previously served as mayor of Hackettstown from 1991 to 1999 and was part of the Warren County Board of Freeholders between 2000 and 2009. DiMaio joined the General Assembly in 2009 and continues his legislative work in New Jersey (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/313/assemblyman-dimaio).
