NJ noncitizen voter registration error was 'horrible,' Dems say
A serious Motor Vehicle Commission software glitch wrongly registered about 6,600 noncitizens in New Jersey. Democrats call the noncitizen voter registration error “horrible” and want accountability, but they reject claims of widespread election fraud. Officials say fewer than 400 of those people cast ballots.
Key Takeaways
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill said a serious software error wrongly registered roughly 6,600 noncitizens via New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle System between June 2023 and June 2024.
- Fewer than 400 of those improperly registered people cast ballots, according to state officials.
- Sen. Andy Kim called the failure “horrible” and demanded accountability while rejecting broader fraud narratives.
- Sherrill has refused a DOJ request for names and addresses of the registered noncitizens and those who voted.
- Vendor IDEMIA denies wrongdoing and says the state Division of Elections must verify eligibility.
What happened with New Jersey’s voter rolls?
Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed that a serious software error at the Motor Vehicle Commission allowed people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens to be registered to vote. The mistaken registrations totaled about 6,600 and occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, before she took office.
Sherrill said she ordered an investigation after the error was discovered and that the Division of Elections is removing ineligible voters from the rolls. She also blamed the prior administration of former Gov. Phil Murphy. Murphy’s camp has said he did not know about the glitch before this week’s disclosures and supports a review of what went wrong.
According to Fox News, fewer than 400 of those improperly registered cast ballots. The episode has intensified debate over election technology and how states keep rolls accurate—issues often tracked alongside other Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage of high-stakes public systems.
Why are Democrats calling it horrible but rejecting fraud fears?
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital that New Jersey needs accountability for what happened. “It was just horrible. There was a big problem with that computer problem that they had,” Kim said, urging fixes going forward.
Other Democrats drew a hard line against treating the glitch as proof of mass fraud. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., called President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud “a figment of his imagination.” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said noncitizen voting “remains extremely rare,” while Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called the New Jersey error “not acceptable” but noted Virginia’s ID rules and audits have not uncovered a similar problem.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., praised Sherrill for coming forward transparently and said election software should be continuously reviewed. Kim also argued states need better tools to maintain accurate rolls rather than relying solely on federal database matching.
Who is responsible for the software failure?
Sherrill has pointed to IDEMIA, the Motor Vehicle Commission software vendor she says her administration is replacing. IDEMIA pushed back, saying it is ultimately the state Division of Elections’ job to verify voter eligibility. Republicans in New Jersey are demanding an independent investigation of the MVC and elections division.
Meanwhile, Sherrill refused a Department of Justice request for the names and addresses of the roughly 6,600 people registered and about 400 who voted. She said the Trump administration wants to “weaponize” the episode rather than focus on free and fair elections. The DOJ responded that it is illegal for any noncitizen to vote in a federal election, and White House officials have tied the dispute to broader citizenship-proof voting legislation.