New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday that a serious software error in the state's Motor Vehicle Commission system led to the registration of roughly 6,600 noncitizens on voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024, with fewer than 400 of those individuals casting ballots in past elections. The Democratic governor stressed that the error occurred under the previous administration of Governor Phil Murphy and that she has taken immediate steps to address the issue.
Sherrill explained that the individuals affected had answered "no" when asked on a keypad whether they were U.S. citizens while applying for driver's licenses or identification cards, but the system registered them to vote anyway through no fault of their own. "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, emphasizing that the improper voting did not occur on her watch. She ordered her administration's attorney to investigate and remove the illegally registered voters from the rolls.
The governor's announcement comes amid ongoing national debates over election integrity and noncitizen voting. Sherrill noted that the improperly registered individuals were affiliated with different political parties — Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters — and were scattered across the state. She also criticized former President Donald Trump for what she described as spreading lies about the legitimacy of American elections, even as she acknowledged the registration failures.
Republican state lawmakers swiftly condemned the situation, calling for stronger voter identification measures. New Jersey Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio said, "This is another example of Democrats failing to secure elections. If Democrats would embrace voter ID — which has broad public support — the MVC's voter registration failures would have been corrected at the ballot box." State Senator Joe Pennacchio echoed those concerns, arguing that the state's policies on driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants and lax oversight have created a broader problem. "Our election integrity is built on a foundation of sand," he said.
The White House also weighed in, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stating, "Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot. Time and again, they have been proven wrong." She emphasized the need for the SAVE America Act, a federal bill aimed at strengthening voter roll maintenance and requiring proof of citizenship to register.
The Republican National Committee's election integrity spokesperson, Ally Triolo, criticized Sherrill's handling of the issue, noting that the RNC and New Jersey GOP had previously uncovered hundreds of noncitizens on the state's voter rolls. "Every time Democrats say noncitizen voting is a 'non-issue,' voters learn about another case that proves otherwise," Triolo said. "It's time to stop making excuses and pass the SAVE America Act."
This development follows a June report by Fox News Digital that revealed noncitizens had been registered to vote in New Jersey over several years, with some voting in elections and others seeking removal from the rolls when they discovered they were registered. Documents from Atlantic County showed noncitizens coming forward to election officials, stating they did not understand how they became registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles. The vast majority of those unknowingly registered were Democrats, according to the reports.
The incident has reignited calls for stricter election security measures in New Jersey and across the country. Governor Sherrill has pledged to continue the purge of noncitizens from the rolls and to implement safeguards to prevent future errors. Meanwhile, Republican leaders argue that the state's Democratic leadership has failed to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, pointing to the need for voter ID laws and more rigorous verification systems.
