The Republican National Committee fielded nearly 500 election-related tips and tracked 28 bomb threats as voters went to the polls last week, underscoring how seriously the GOP is taking ballot security heading into the 2026 midterms.
The RNC's election integrity operation was fully deployed in New Jersey and Virginia on Nov. 4, the committee confirmed in a press release.
The committee invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the off-year races, recruiting 964 poll workers in New Jersey alone and successfully placing 463 at polling locations, more than double the number in previous cycles.
"Election integrity is essential, and the RNC is leading the fight to secure the ballot," RNC Chair Joe Gruters told the Daily Caller, which first reported the committee's activity.
"In New Jersey and Virginia, our teams resolved hundreds of issues in real time, defended ballot security laws, and made sure every lawful vote was counted. While Democrats try to make it easier to cheat, Republicans are safeguarding confidence in our elections."
Gruters drove home the message on X, writing that the RNC's election integrity team is already "operating at full speed ahead of next year's midterms" and stressing that President Donald Trump gave the party a clear directive: protect the ballot.
That effort was put to the test in New Jersey, where Election Day was marred by a wave of emailed bomb threats and other security concerns.
State officials acknowledged that polling locations in at least seven counties — including Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic — were temporarily evacuated or moved as police responded.
NJ.com reported heavy law enforcement presence at schools and public buildings serving as polling places, with some voters redirected to alternate sites while K-9 units swept the buildings.
While Democrat officials rushed to label the threats "not credible" and insisted voting could continue, Republicans note that even temporary shutdowns can disenfranchise voters and fuel distrust in the system.
RNC election integrity staffers tracked how long each affected precinct was closed and coordinated with local officials to make sure every legitimate voter still had a chance to cast a ballot.
Beyond the bomb scares, the RNC said its monitors logged 478 separate reports of voting problems on Election Day, from machine malfunctions and check-in issues to accessibility complaints.
In one high-profile New Jersey case, the committee went to court to stop Bergen County from counting more than 300 "naked" mail ballots that were missing required inner envelopes. A judge agreed, ruling that the ballots violated state law.
Since being freed from a decades-old consent decree in 2018, Republicans have steadily rebuilt their ability to oversee elections.
The RNC created a dedicated election integrity department after the 2022 midterms and, unlike other political operations that scaled back after Trump's 2024 victory, kept that team fully staffed.
"What we have at the RNC is ... staff that are true believers in building an election integrity operation," an official told the Daily Caller.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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