New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday that a software malfunction within the state’s motor vehicle system led to the erroneous registration of thousands of non-citizens as eligible voters. The revelation has ignited a political debate, drawing immediate attention from President Donald Trump’s administration and fueling calls for enhanced election integrity measures nationwide.
"I think that Donald Trump has done more to undermine free elections in this country than certainly anyone in my lifetime, including Vladimir Putin." — Governor Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey
According to Governor Sherrill, the glitch at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) automatically enrolled nearly 6,600 non-U.S. citizens to vote between June 2023 and June 2024. Of this group, approximately 400 individuals proceeded to cast ballots in state elections. The governor emphasized that the system error occurred despite applicants explicitly indicating "no" when asked about their U.S. citizenship status via the keypad system while applying for driver’s licenses or state ID cards.
Governor Sherrill clarified that the individuals who voted improperly were not concentrated in a single political affiliation or geographic area, registering as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters across various municipalities in New Jersey. She maintained that, at this time, "we have no evidence at this time that any elections were swayed." This assurance comes as New Jersey has a history of narrow electoral outcomes, with Ballotpedia data showing 13 elections since 2017 decided by ten votes or fewer.
The software vendor identified as responsible for the error is IDEMIA, a French company. IDEMIA also provides identity verification services for federal programs, including TSA PreCheck. New Jersey is one of 23 states, along with the District of Columbia, that utilizes an automatic voter registration system through motor vehicle offices, placing the onus on individuals to opt out if they do not wish to be registered.
Governor Sherrill’s disclosure comes approximately one week after President Trump publicly claimed that nearly 250,000 non-citizens were registered to vote across several states, including New Jersey, where he cited a figure of 35,152. Sherrill confirmed receiving formal correspondence from the Department of Homeland Security with this identical figure, but stated her administration has repeatedly sought documentation to substantiate it. "We have asked them for any evidence of this, where they got that number, who this is. We’ve received nothing back yet," Sherrill said.
During her press conference, Governor Sherrill also directed strong criticism towards President Trump. When asked if President Trump might use New Jersey’s situation to suggest national election vulnerabilities, Sherrill stated, "I think that Donald Trump has done more to undermine free elections in this country than certainly anyone in my lifetime, including Vladimir Putin." She added that President Trump "has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity."
The White House promptly responded to Governor Sherrill’s remarks. White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The New York Post that New Jersey’s admission validates long-standing Republican concerns regarding election security. "Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot. Time and again, they have been proven wrong," Jackson said. The administration leveraged the moment to reiterate its support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, proposed legislation that would mandate proof of citizenship and photo identification for voter registration nationwide.
Governor Sherrill also acknowledged past administrative shortcomings in Trenton, though she did not name former Governor Phil Murphy directly. "It’s unacceptable that no one in the previous administration brought this to light, demanded accountability, or took action when it happened years ago," she said, suggesting a historical "trend playbook" of avoiding tough problems. She distinguished her tenure, stating, "This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now because the people of New Jersey shouldn’t have to wait a year for a problem to get solved, or two years to learn it even happened."
To address the issue, Governor Sherrill’s office has engaged CSG Law, an independent firm, to investigate the root causes and persistence of the software failure. State officials plan to transition to a different software vendor as early as next year, notify affected individuals via mail, and remove all ineligible names from the voter rolls. Governor Sherrill framed her response as consistent with her commitment to public service, stating, "I’ve taken several oaths to support and defend our Constitution as a Navy pilot, a federal prosecutor, and an elected official. Election integrity is core to that oath. It’s my duty as governor to make sure our elections are free, fair, and secure."
The New Jersey situation unfolds amid a broader national push by Republicans for stricter election safeguards. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this week on legislation that includes new voter ID requirements alongside a ban on congressional stock trading. Both chambers of Congress are also preparing to consider a scaled-back version of the SAVE America Act within a reconciliation bill blueprint. On Tuesday, House Republicans advanced procedural hurdles for three legislative tracks tied to the measure, including the voter ID provision, the reconciliation framework, and a proposal linking the bill with defense authorization legislation.
