New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday that a software glitch at the Department of Motor Vehicles mistakenly added approximately 6,600 noncitizens to the state's voter rolls. The error, which occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, was attributed to an outside vendor that the state is in the process of phasing out.
Sherrill stated that state officials became aware of the issue last week and initiated an investigation. She emphasized that fewer than 400 of the noncitizens cast ballots in various elections and that there is no evidence to suggest these votes impacted election results. The noncitizen voters were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters and were scattered across the state.
"We have no evidence at this time that any elections were swayed," Sherrill said during a press conference, calling the glitch "unacceptable." She added, "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."
The governor contrasted her administration's response with former President Donald Trump's claims about election integrity, stating, "As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections. The difference is simple: when we find a problem, we don't hide it, deny it, or invent conspiracies. We investigate it, we fix it, and we tell the public."
New Jersey is currently working to remove all 6,600 individuals from its voter registration lists. The state is phasing out the vendor responsible for the software error. This incident comes as political discussions around election security and noncitizen voting continue.
The Trump campaign seized on the news, with a White House spokesperson urging support for the SAVE America bill, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship at the time of voter registration. Some Democrats and Republicans in Congress have expressed concerns that the legislation could create barriers for eligible voters. Sherrill, a Democrat, took office in January and has been working to address issues within the DMV.