TRENTON, New Jersey — As previously reported, a software error in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) system resulted in approximately 6,600 people who had indicated they were not U.S. citizens being mistakenly registered to vote. The state of New Jersey has now officially removed those registrations from voter rolls, Governor Mikie Sherrill announced.
In a statement, Governor Sherrill described the issue as a “serious software error” that caused some noncitizens who had identified themselves as ineligible to vote to nevertheless be added to voter registration lists between June 2023 and June 2024.
“As soon as we learned about this issue last week, I immediately ordered an investigation and directed that anyone who should not be on the voter rolls be removed,” Governor Sherrill said.
According to the governor, the problem occurred because the MVC system incorrectly processed information from individuals who, while applying for a driver’s license or state identification card, indicated that they were not U.S. citizens. Despite that information, the system automatically added them to the voter registration database.
Fewer Than 400 People Actually Voted
According to a preliminary review by the administration, fewer than 400 of the approximately 6,600 individuals who were incorrectly registered actually cast ballots after the mistaken registration.
Those voters were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and independents and were located throughout the state, indicating that the error did not appear to systematically benefit one political party.
Federal Pressure Before the Announcement
Governor Sherrill’s announcement came five days after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent a letter to New Jersey Secretary of State Dale Caldwell, claiming that a preliminary federal review had identified up to 35,152 potential noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls — a figure significantly higher than the 6,600 registrations later confirmed by the governor.
This context is important: Sherrill’s announcement came amid increased attention from Washington and a broader national debate over election security during the Trump administration.
Actions Being Taken
State officials said the issue was discovered during routine reviews and that immediate steps were taken to protect the accuracy and integrity of voter registration records.
The new MVC chief, Rosalie Johnson, appointed by Governor Sherrill, has already begun the process of replacing the software vendor responsible for the error.
Governor Sherrill emphasized that the priority is ensuring that only legally eligible voters remain on the voter rolls. She also stated that the error occurred before her administration took office and that responsibility for the system failure does not fall on her administration.
Political Reaction
Republican lawmakers in the New Jersey Legislature used the situation to renew calls for a voter identification requirement — a measure that Democratic leaders in New Jersey have opposed in the past.
Broader Context
The situation is the latest example of states conducting voter-roll reviews ahead of upcoming elections to remove ineligible registrations and improve election administration.
It is important to note that the approximately 6,600 improperly created registrations represent less than 0.1% of New Jersey’s more than 6.6 million registered voters.
Sources: Official statement from Governor Mikie Sherrill (nj.gov), Fox News, NBC10 Philadelphia, The Hill
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[…] result: approximately 6,600 non-citizens were mistakenly added to voter rolls, and about 400 of them cast ballots in elections. Sherrill […]