New Jersey officials say a software error at the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) mistakenly registered more than 6,000 non-citizens to vote over a one-year period, with fewer than 400 of those individuals casting ballots in elections since 2023.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday that approximately 6,600 people who identified themselves as non-citizens while applying for driver’s licenses or state identification cards were nevertheless added to the state’s voter rolls because of a computer system error.
The problem occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, before Sherrill took office. State officials said the affected registrations were spread across New Jersey and included voters with a variety of political affiliations, although most were registered as unaffiliated.
Sherrill said there is no evidence the improperly cast ballots changed the outcome of any election. New Jersey has nearly 7 million registered voters, and statewide elections typically attract between 1.5 million and 4 million votes.
The governor said the MVC has begun removing the ineligible registrations from the voter rolls and has hired an independent law firm to investigate how the error occurred and recommend improvements.
The issue has drawn national attention as the Trump administration continues to emphasize election integrity and support legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. White House officials said the incident highlights the need for stronger safeguards, while Sherrill argued the problem resulted from an administrative failure rather than deficiencies in state election law.
The error has also renewed scrutiny of the state’s motor vehicle agency, which has faced criticism in recent years over administrative issues. The vendor involved in the software system, Idemia, disputed responsibility, saying the state’s Division of Elections is ultimately responsible for verifying voter eligibility before applicants are added to the voter rolls.
State officials said they do not currently plan to pursue charges against non-citizens who voted after being mistakenly registered, noting the registrations resulted from a government error rather than intentional misconduct. An independent review of the incident is expected to determine how the mistake occurred and what changes may be needed to prevent a recurrence.
Source: Politico