NJ Republicans Hope To Boost Voter Registration Among Gun Owners

NEW JERSEY — Republicans are already outpacing Democrats when it comes to voter registration in New Jersey. Now, party leaders are backing a proposed state law that would expand automatic voter registration to gun owners and hunters – potentially beefing those numbers up even more.

“New Jersey Democrats have long used automatic voter registration to their advantage, applying it at the MVC while ignoring law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen,” the New Jersey Republican State Committee wrote in a recent email to donors.

“That can change now,” the NJGOP added.

“Republicans in the New Jersey Legislature just introduced a common-sense bill to expand automatic voter registration to those obtaining firearms ID cards and hunting licenses – ensuring that all law-abiding citizens are treated fairly,” the committee explained.

“The NJGOP is all-in for equal access to voter registration,” the email stated.

If it crosses the finish line, the bill would ensure that New Jersey residents get the chance to register as voters when they apply for gun and hunting licenses – similar to how they currently are able to register at the Motor Vehicle Commission. It would also allow automatic voter registration for boat licenses, as well as for people seeking fishing or trapping licenses.

Each applicant would be allowed to decline automatic voter registration.

The proposed law (S-4099/A-5230) is awaiting further review in the state Senate and Assembly. Its primary sponsors are all Republicans: Kristin Corrado and Michael Testa in the Senate, and Al Barlas, Christopher DePhillips and Dawn Fantasia in the Assembly.

New Jersey, which has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, also has less firearm owners, according to a 2022 report from the Rutgers New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center.

“Most reports indicate that 30 percent to 40 percent of American homes have firearms in them, but here in New Jersey, that figure is closer to 20 percent,” researchers said.

Nationwide, Republicans are much more likely to own a gun, studies have found.

According to a 2024 report from the Pew Research Center, about 45 percent of Republicans and “GOP-leaning independents” said they personally own a firearm, compared with 20 percent of Democrats and Democratic voters.

A Gallup report from November found that there has been a sharp increase in gun ownership among Republican women since 2007. Gun ownership rates have remained high among Republican men. Meanwhile, gun ownership is “relatively scarce” for Democratic and independent women, and is declining for Democratic and independent men.

VOTER REGISTRATION TOTALS

Democrats still heavily outweigh Republicans in New Jersey, which has traditionally skewed blue on Election Day. Read More: NJ Voter Registration Totals Ahead Of 2024 Election (See The Breakdown)

According to data from the New Jersey Division of Elections, there are 2,535,498 registered Democrats in New Jersey and 1,652,061 Republicans as of Feb. 1. The state also has 2,509,165 unaffiliated voters and 78,246 voters registered with a third-party.

The Republican Party has been making steady gains over the past year, however – sharply outpacing Democrats when it comes to percentages.

Republicans gained 102,333 voters between February 2024 and February 2025: a 6.6 percent increase. Meanwhile, Democrats gained 38,980 voters over the same time period: a 1.56 percent increase.

Although nearly 6 percent more New Jersey voters cast presidential ballots for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, Donald Trump still tallied more than 1.96 million votes in the Garden State.

Across the state, Republicans flipped five New Jersey counties from blue to red last year. Read More: 5 NJ Counties Flip Red In Trump Vs. Harris Race (Here Are The Numbers)

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