A technical glitch within the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission led to the improper voter registration of roughly 6,600 noncitizens between June 2023 and June 2024, state officials announced Tuesday. Gov. Mikie Sherrill attributed the mistake to a software failure that added residents to electoral rosters even after they explicitly answered “no” on digital keypads asking if they held U.S. citizenship. Early administrative reviews indicate that fewer than 400 of those erroneously enrolled actually cast ballots in subsequent elections.
In response to the discovery, Sherrill mandated the immediate purging of all affected files from state voter rolls, terminated the contract with the third-party software vendor responsible, and launched an investigation into the matter. The governor expressed sharp frustration with the previous administration under former Gov. Phil Murphy, during whose tenure the system error occurred, stating, “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 noted that those registered spanned Democratic, Republican, and independent affiliations, while adding, “As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections”.
The revelation follows heightened scrutiny from federal authorities, who have frequently alleged widespread noncitizen participation in federal contests. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin publicly acknowledged the state’s corrective steps on social media, writing, “Appreciate you responding back to our letter, @GovSherrillNJ. This should’ve been done a LONG time ago,” before adding that “Just ONE illegal vote cancels out the vote of a U.S. citizen.” White House representatives and congressional Republicans subsequently referenced the New Jersey incident to press for federal legislation mandating documentary proof of citizenship during voter registration.
While federal law strictly bans noncitizens from participating in national elections, administrative errors linked to automated registration processes have surfaced periodically in other states. Outfits in Oregon, Colorado, and California have previously reported system glitches or mailing oversights involving noncitizens, though voting rights analysts emphasize that actual noncitizen voting remains exceptionally rare. Experts from the Center for Election Innovation and Research noted that broad database comparisons often yield false positives, misidentifying fully eligible voters and amplifying claims surrounding election integrity.
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