Armed poll watchers: New Jersey’s 1981 racist voter intimidation campaign is a cautionary tale ahead of 2026 midterms

Will voters in the upcoming Nov. 3 election face a voter intimidation campaign like New Jersey voters faced in 1981? Backyard Production, iStock/Getty Images Plus

In the history of voter suppression in the United States, including attempts to stop Black and Latino people from voting, Republican tactics in the 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial race stand out.

That November, voters in several cities saw posters at polling places printed in bright red letters: “WARNING. This area is being patrolled by the National Ballot Security Task Force.”