More Than 6,600 Non-Citizens Registered to Vote in New Jersey Due to Mvc Software Error; Fewer Than 400 Cast Ballots

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday that a software error within the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) improperly registered approximately 6,600 people who identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens to vote between June 2023 and June 2024.

According to the governor, the issue occurred under the previous administration when applicants applying for driver's licenses or state identification cards answered "No" to the question asking whether they were U.S. citizens. Despite that response, the state's motor vehicle system still registered them to vote.

While the number of erroneous registrations has sparked concern, the state's preliminary review found that fewer than 400 of those individuals actually voted, meaning more than 94% of those mistakenly registered never cast a ballot.

"This failure didn't occur under my watch, but accountability starts now," Sherrill said, announcing that she immediately ordered an investigation, directed officials to remove anyone improperly added to the voter rolls during that period, and instructed the MVC to replace the software vendor responsible for the system.

The governor said the incorrectly registered individuals included Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters and were located across New Jersey.

Sherrill sharply criticized both the software vendor and state officials for allowing the problem to go unnoticed.

"It’s unacceptable that the vendor released software with such a glaring error. It’s unacceptable that the MVC took a year to get this issue fixed. And it’s unacceptable that no one in the previous administration brought this to light or took action," she said.

The announcement comes as election integrity remains a major national issue. Sherrill argued that the state's response demonstrates the difference between identifying a verified problem and addressing it through an investigation and corrective action.

Officials have not yet explained how the software error went undetected for roughly a year, how many of the improperly registered individuals remain on the voter rolls, or when the replacement of the MVC system vendor will be completed.

The investigation remains ongoing.