New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday, July 21, that a serious software error in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) system led to roughly 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens being registered to vote anyway. According to a preliminary review by her administration, fewer than 400 of them actually cast a ballot.
How the Error Happened
According to Sherrill, the problem occurred between June 2023 and June 2024 — nearly three years before she took office. The individuals in question answered “no” on a keypad when asked whether they were U.S. citizens while applying for a driver’s license or state ID. Despite that answer, the system registered them to vote regardless.
“These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers’ licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” Sherrill said in her statement.
A Federal Letter That Came First
Sherrill’s announcement comes just five days after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to New Jersey Secretary of State Dale Caldwell. Signed by Assistant Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the letter claimed that DHS’s own preliminary federal review had found as many as 35,152 potential noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls — a far higher number than the 6,600 Sherrill later confirmed.
That timing matters: Sherrill’s disclosure isn’t presented as something her administration uncovered entirely on its own — it also comes as a response to pressure from Washington, amid a broader push by the Trump administration on election security, including support for the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
In her statement, Sherrill took aim in both directions — criticizing the Trump administration for “trying to weaponize elections for political gain,” and the previous administration under Gov. Phil Murphy for failing to catch or disclose the problem sooner, calling it “unacceptable” that no one flagged it or demanded accountability at the time.
What the Governor Is Doing Now
Sherrill said that as soon as she learned of the error last week, she ordered her chief counsel to open an investigation. She also ordered the removal of everyone who had been mistakenly added to the voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024. The MVC’s new chief administrator, Rosalie Johnson — appointed by Sherrill — has already begun the process of replacing the vendor responsible for the faulty software.
“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,” Sherrill said. “This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now.”
Political Reaction
Republican lawmakers in the state Assembly seized on the news to renew calls for a voter ID requirement — something New Jersey Democrats have resisted so far. Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio said “this is another example of Democrats failing to secure elections,” adding that voter ID, which has broad public support, would have caught the error sooner. One state senator went further, saying New Jersey’s “election integrity is built on a foundation of sand.”
Putting the Numbers in Context
Worth noting: out of more than 6.6 million registered voters in New Jersey, the 6,600 wrongly registered noncitizens amount to less than 0.1% of the total voter rolls. The fewer than 400 people who actually voted were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters, scattered across the state — suggesting the error didn’t systematically favor one political side.
The Bottom Line
The case raises broader questions about how well New Jersey’s motor vehicle system and voter registration database are connected — and how long the flaw might have gone unnoticed without federal pressure. Sherrill says the investigation is ongoing, while political opponents are using the moment to push for changes that could reshape how the state registers voters going forward.
Sources: Official statement from Gov. Mikie Sherrill (nj.gov), Fox News, Fox 29 Philadelphia, NBC10 Philadelphia, Newsweek, The Hill, TIME, Patch, Yahoo News