Software error registered over 6,000 noncitizen voters in NJ, governor says
About 6,600 noncitizens were mistakenly registered to vote because of a software error in New Jersey’s motor vehicle system, though fewer than 400 cast ballots, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday.
Sherrill said the error occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, during the previous administration, after applicants for driver’s licenses and state identification cards correctly indicated they were not U.S. citizens but were registered to vote because of what she described as a “serious” software failure.
A preliminary review found that the roughly 400 people who cast ballots after being accidentally being added to the voter rolls were registered as Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters.
The Democratic governor said she learned of the issue last week and immediately ordered an investigation led by her chief counsel. She also directed state officials to remove anyone erroneously added to the voter rolls during that period. Additionally, Sherrill said the new administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has begun replacing the vendor responsible for administering the system.
Sherrill called the error a “reckless failure” and accused the previous administration of lacking transparency.
“I am appalled by the reckless failures that allowed this to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time,” she said. “This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now.”
The disclosure comes days after President Donald Trump delivered a speech on election security, reviving false claims about the 2020 election and alleging vulnerabilities in voter registration and voting systems as Republicans make election integrity a central issue ahead of the 2026 midterms. Trump alleged the Department of Homeland Security identified “approximately 278,000 noncitizens who are registered to vote in federal elections,” citing a review of state voter rolls and public records.
“As President Trump has said, there is nothing more important than the integrity of our elections. And this latest incident underscores the absolute necessity of the SAVE America Act.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement Tuesday.
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Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.
