Ballot Security Task Force

The National Ballot Security Task Force (BSTF) was founded in 1981 in New Jersey, United States by the Republican National Committee (RNC) to discourage voter turnout among likely Democratic voters in the gubernatorial election.

The group's activities prompted the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to bring a federal lawsuit, alleging a violation of the Voting Rights Act, illegal harassment, and voter intimidation. The RNC and New Jersey Republican State Committee entered into a consent decree in 1982, barring them from engaging in further such conduct.[1]

The RNC tried to lift the consent decree several times over the next 25 years; these attempts were rejected by the federal courts. In 2009, the US District Court of New Jersey agreed to several modifications of the consent decree, including the addition of an expiration date.[2] That date was set for December 1, 2017. Democrats sought an extension of the consent decree based on allegations of new conduct, but the request was denied in January 2018 and the decree expired.[3]

  1. ^ "REPUBLICANS AGREE IN LAWSUIT TO AVOID INTIMIDATING VOTERS". New York Times. November 7, 1982. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  2. ^ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY (December 1, 2009). "DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, ET AL. v. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, ET AL" (PDF). GovInfo.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  3. ^ GERSTEIN, JOSH. "Judge ends consent decree limiting RNC 'ballot security' activities". POLITICO. Retrieved September 10, 2018.