A resurfaced video from a 2019 congressional hearing has reignited debate over election security in New Jersey, drawing renewed attention to warnings issued years ago by then-Representative Mikie Sherrill, who now serves as the state’s governor.

The clip, which has circulated widely on social media in recent days, shows Sherrill sharply criticizing New Jersey’s voting infrastructure during her time in Congress. At the hearing, she described the state as one of the least secure in the nation due to its reliance on direct-recording electronic voting machines that lacked voter-verified paper ballots or auditable paper trails in many counties.

Sherrill warned that without a physical paper record, election results could not be independently verified after votes were cast. She emphasized that even if voting machines were not connected to the internet, the absence of paper documentation made it difficult to detect errors, malfunctions, or potential tampering.

During the hearing, she referenced public cybersecurity demonstrations where vulnerabilities in similar voting systems were exposed. Reports from those demonstrations showed how quickly some machines could be compromised, reinforcing concerns raised by election-security experts about the risks associated with paperless voting systems.

At the time, Sherrill played a visible role in congressional oversight efforts related to election integrity and supported federal legislation aimed at requiring voter-verifiable paper records nationwide. Her remarks aligned with broader national concerns following reports of foreign interference attempts and the aging condition of election infrastructure across several states.

Independent assessments from that period reinforced her concerns. Nonpartisan organizations ranked New Jersey poorly in election security evaluations in 2019, citing the state’s heavy use of paperless voting machines and limited post-election audit capabilities. Critics argued that these shortcomings reduced transparency and hindered public confidence in election outcomes.

Since then, New Jersey has taken steps toward modernization. The expansion of early voting introduced voter-verifiable paper ballots, and several counties transitioned to optical-scan systems that generate physical records. State officials have also implemented post-election review procedures in select jurisdictions.

Election administrators maintain that New Jersey’s voting machines are not networked, that physical security protocols are in place, and that there is no evidence of widespread fraud or successful large-scale hacking in recent elections. Officials also point to the smooth administration of recent statewide races as evidence of system reliability.

However, election-integrity advocates note that modernization has been uneven. Some counties continue to rely on older equipment during Election Day voting, and risk-limiting audits are not uniformly required statewide. Critics argue that without consistent standards across all counties, public confidence remains vulnerable to doubt and misinformation.

The resurfacing of Sherrill’s 2019 remarks has intensified public discussion online, with some residents calling for accelerated reforms and greater transparency. Others view the clip as a reminder that election security requires continual oversight rather than periodic attention.

Now serving as governor, Sherrill’s past warnings carry renewed weight. Advocates argue that her prior stance places heightened expectations on her administration to ensure that New Jersey’s elections are fully auditable, transparent, and resilient in future election cycles.

Ensuring trust in elections, experts note, is not a partisan issue but a foundational requirement for democratic legitimacy in New Jersey.

Sources

• U.S. House congressional hearing records on election security, 2019

• Election security assessments from nonpartisan watchdog organizations, 2019

• New Jersey election law reforms and early voting legislation enacted beginning in 2021

• Publicly circulated social media video featuring the 2019 hearing excerpt, February 2026

• New Jersey news coverage addressing election security concerns and voting system upgrades