BS BRIEF:
- New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill says approximately 6,600 people who identified themselves as noncitizens were mistakenly registered to vote because of a software error in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission system between June 2023 and June 2024.
- The governor said a preliminary review found fewer than 400 of those improperly registered cast ballots, and she has ordered the registrations removed while launching an investigation into what went wrong.
NEW JERSEY INVESTIGATING SOFTWARE ERROR THAT MISTAKENLY REGISTERED THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS TO VOTE
New Jersey officials are investigating what Gov. Mikie Sherrill described as a “serious software error” that mistakenly registered roughly 6,600 people to vote even though they indicated they were not U.S. citizens when applying for driver’s licenses or identification cards.
According to the governor, the problem occurred between June 2023 and June 2024 within the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission system, before she took office in January 2026. She said the affected individuals answered “no” when asked whether they were U.S. citizens, but were nevertheless added to the voter rolls because of the software malfunction.
Sherrill said she learned of the issue last week and immediately ordered an internal investigation.
“This entire situation is unacceptable,” the governor said in a statement. “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, demanded accountability.”
The governor said state officials have begun removing everyone who was improperly registered during that period and that the Motor Vehicle Commission is replacing the software vendor responsible for administering the system.
A preliminary review found that fewer than 400 of the mistakenly registered individuals cast ballots.
Sherrill said the state has found no evidence at this point that the erroneous registrations changed the outcome of any election, though the investigation remains ongoing.
The disclosure comes days after the Department of Homeland Security announced a broader review of voter registration records in several states, including New Jersey, and called on state officials to remove ineligible registrations where identified. The administration has also continued advocating for stricter citizenship verification measures for federal elections.
The issue has quickly become a focal point in the broader national debate over election security.
Supporters of tighter election safeguards argue the incident demonstrates the need for stronger verification systems even if the registrations resulted from administrative error. Others note that election officials discovered the problem, disclosed it publicly, and initiated corrective action while emphasizing that documented instances of noncitizen voting remain relatively uncommon nationwide.
State investigators are expected to determine precisely how the software malfunction occurred, whether additional safeguards failed, and whether further corrective measures are needed before future elections.
Podcast host Tim Pool summed up the surprise shared by many online, posting, “Holy sh*t. Even when saying NO they were still registered.” His comment referenced Sherrill’s statement that the affected applicants had explicitly answered “no” when asked whether they were U.S. citizens while applying for driver’s licenses or state identification cards.
Former Rep. George Santos thanked Sherrill for publicly acknowledging the error, writing, “I want to thank my former colleague Gov. Sherill for validating the long known fact that she and her party insist are a conspiracy. ‘Illegals aren’t voting in our elections.'”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) argued the governor should focus on election safeguards rather than criticizing President Donald Trump. Blackburn posted that if Sherrill were serious about election integrity, she should encourage New Jersey Democrats to support voter ID requirements and back the SAVE Act in Congress.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) highlighted the governor’s estimate that fewer than 400 improperly registered individuals cast ballots, writing, “400 voters is more than enough to swing an election.” He added sarcastically, “Anyways, we were told this doesn’t happen.”
Former Trump Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin also weighed in, posting, “But I was reliably told by the media that no illegal alien was voting in our elections?”
Fox News contributor Joe Concha echoed that sentiment, writing, “Well, there goes that whole ‘illegals would never vote because it’s already illegal’ argument…”
Journalist Lara Logan questioned the state’s explanation that the problem stemmed from a software error, writing, “Give me a break — they will always blame things like this on a ‘glitch’ if you allow them to get away with it.” She added, “As long as there are machines, there will be ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY for everything they control.”
Political commentator Robby Starbuck argued the erroneous registrations could have influenced close elections, writing that it was “possible that illegal immigrants decided” dozens of races in New Jersey.
The announcement also drew a response from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, whose department recently announced it was reviewing voter-registration records in several states. Mullin thanked Sherrill for moving quickly to address the issue but added that it “should’ve been done a LONG time ago,” while urging the state to complete its investigation and remove every ineligible registration.
Sherrill has maintained that the registrations resulted from a software error within the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission system, not intentional misconduct by the applicants. According to her office, the affected individuals had identified themselves as non-citizens during the licensing process, and the state is working to cancel the erroneous registrations while investigating how the malfunction occurred.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Associated Press – 6,600 noncitizens registered to vote after error in New Jersey motor vehicle system, governor says
- Governor Mikie Sherrill – Statement on New Jersey voter registration software error
- The Wall Street Journal – New Jersey removes noncitizens from voter rolls after software error
- Axios – N.J. removes noncitizens from voter rolls after finding software glitch
- New Jersey Monitor – NJ governor says 6K non-citizens were registered to vote, 400 voted thanks to ‘software error’
