The Justice Department has launched an investigation into how 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote in New Jersey and has given Gov. Mikie Sherrill five days to provide key data, including individuals' names. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, leading the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, stated in a letter to Sherrill that "Ensuring that U.S. citizens’ votes are not illegally diluted by noncitizens’ votes is of paramount importance."
New Jersey officials have attributed the issue to a "serious software error" within the state's Motor Vehicle System, reportedly involving the tech company IDEMIA. Approximately 400 of the 6,600 non-citizens on the voter rolls are believed to have cast ballots, according to state officials. Noncitizens are prohibited from voting in federal elections.
The Justice Department is also using this incident to bolster its ongoing lawsuit seeking access to New Jersey's voter roll data. A spokesperson for Governor Sherrill criticized the Trump administration's actions, calling it a potential "weaponization of the Justice Department for political purposes."
Amid the controversy, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) has called for a full review of IDEMIA's federal contracts by the General Services Administration and the Office of Management and Budget. IDEMIA manages systems such as TSA PreCheck and driver's license programs across multiple states.
Governor Sherrill has stated that the state has engaged an outside firm, CSG, to investigate the matter and assess potential failures on the state's end. The incident has drawn criticism from Republican officials, including former President Donald Trump, who has long advocated for stricter election integrity measures, such as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship for voting.
The error reportedly occurred under the administration of former Gov. Phil Murphy, prior to Sherrill's governorship. IDEMIA has stated that its role is to transmit information from the motor vehicle system to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying voter eligibility. The company indicated that information submitted by IDEMIA requires validation by the Division of Elections.