New Jersey officials are removing thousands of ineligible voters from the state's voter registration rolls following the discovery of a Motor Vehicle Commission software error that automatically registered non-citizens to vote.

Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday (July 21) that 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens when obtaining a driver's license or identification card between June 2023 and June 2024 were automatically registered to vote due to the software malfunction. According to a statement from Governor Sherrill, preliminary analysis shows fewer than 400 individuals who were newly registered because of the error actually voted. Those voters were registered across party lines as Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated voters and were scattered throughout the state.

'This happened under the previous administration and, upon learning this information, I immediately ordered my chief counsel to launch an investigation to get to the bottom of what occurred,' Sherrill said. 'I also ordered the removal of any residents from our voter rolls who were erroneously added between June 2023 and June 2024.'

The governor said she learned of the software error last week and has begun the process of replacing the vendor responsible for administering the system. The new Motor Vehicle Commission Administrator appointed by Sherrill is overseeing the vendor replacement.

'I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter,' Sherrill said. '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.'

The discovery of the software error comes amid broader scrutiny of New Jersey's voter registration processes. The New Jersey GOP's election-integrity task force claimed in early June to have found evidence of hundreds of non-citizens on the state's voter rolls, though the party did not specify exact numbers at the time.

In response to concerns about voter registration integrity, state lawmakers have introduced legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration at Motor Vehicle Commission offices. The proposed bill would also mandate annual audits of voter registrations to ensure compliance with eligibility requirements.

Sherrill emphasized that her administration is committed to transparency and accountability in addressing the issue. 'When we find a problem, we don't hide it, deny it, or invent conspiracies,' she said. 'We investigate it, we fix it, and we tell the public. That's what accountability and good governance look like.'

The governor also criticized President Donald Trump's record on election integrity, stating he has 'zero credibility on the issue' due to his efforts to undermine faith in elections and attempts to overturn election results.

Alicia D'Alessandro, a spokesperson for the Division of Elections, told the New Jersey Globe that all allegations of voter fraud are investigated and referred to appropriate authorities for review. The Division remains committed to administering elections in compliance with all relevant statutes and regulations.

New Jersey currently has more than 6.6 million registered voters. State officials will continue investigating the software error and implementing safeguards to prevent similar issues in future elections.

Michael Berry