Gov. Sherrill orders investigation after software error wrongly registered about 6,600 noncitizens to vote; fewer than 400 voted

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Mikie Sherrill said a software error in New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission system incorrectly registered about 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens to vote between June 2023 and June 2024, prompting an investigation and efforts to remove the affected individuals from the state’s voter rolls.

According to the governor, the error occurred nearly three years before she took office. She said the individuals answered “no” when asked whether they were U.S. citizens while applying for driver’s licenses or identification cards, but were registered to vote because of the software issue.

Sherrill said she learned of the problem last week and directed her chief counsel to investigate what occurred. She also ordered election officials to remove anyone who was mistakenly added to the voter rolls during the affected period.

The governor said the Motor Vehicle Commission administrator she appointed has begun replacing the vendor responsible for administering the system.

According to a preliminary analysis by the administration, fewer than 400 of the individuals who were newly registered because of the error cast ballots. Sherrill said those voters were registered as Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters and were located across the state.

“I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter. As a military veteran who swore an oath to defend our Constitution, and as a former federal prosecutor, I believe the integrity of our elections is fundamental to our democracy. 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. This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now. I am taking action to prevent anything like it from occurring in the future and make sure those responsible are held accountable,” Sherrill said.

The governor also criticized President Donald Trump while discussing election integrity.

“As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections. Let me be clear: Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity. For more than ten years, he has worked to undermine Americans’ faith in our elections by spreading lies about legitimate election results, attempting to overturn a free and fair election, encouraging an attack on our Capitol when he couldn’t accept the will of the voters, and defunding election security at the federal level,” Sherrill said.

“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. That’s what accountability and good governance look like, and that’s exactly what my administration is doing.”

“New Jerseyans should have confidence that every eligible citizen can vote, every lawful vote will be counted, and every reasonable step will be taken to protect the integrity of our elections. That’s my responsibility, and it’s one I will never stop fighting to uphold.”