State officials say the error registered people who had indicated they were noncitizens. The cleanup now turns on removing erroneous records without disenfranchising lawfully registered voters.
New Jersey has begun removing more than 4,500 voter registrations created solely through a Motor Vehicle Commission software error, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a state update. The remaining registrations are being referred to county election officials for additional review because the state’s initial review indicates that some of the affected people may be citizens.
The update follows Sherrill’s earlier disclosure, reported by PBS NewsHour, that about 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens while obtaining New Jersey driver’s licenses or other state IDs were improperly registered to vote in 2023 and 2024.
The cleanup now underway
In a statement posted by the governor’s office, Sherrill said the Division of Elections has begun a process to remove more than 4,500 individuals who were registered solely through the software error.
She also said the Motor Vehicle Commission mailed letters to people affected by the error and launched a website with frequently asked questions, information about the voter registration review process and support resources.
The state is not treating every remaining registration the same way. Sherrill said the remaining cases will be sent to county election officials for additional review to ensure that lawfully registered voters are not disenfranchised.
How the error happened
The problem traces back to New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission system. According to PBS NewsHour, Sherrill said about 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens while obtaining driver’s licenses or other state IDs were improperly registered to vote in 2023 and 2024.
The Wall Street Journal reported that state officials attributed the mistaken registrations to an Idemia software error tied to driver’s license and ID card applications.
Sherrill, a Democrat who took office this year, said she ordered the erroneous registrations removed, is replacing the vendor that ran the system and is launching an investigation into how the error happened. PBS reported that she said she was appalled by the failures and by what she described as a lack of transparency from those previously in charge.
Why the remaining cases need review
The numbers do not collapse into one simple figure. Sherrill first described approximately 6,600 improper registrations. Her later state update says more than 4,500 individuals registered solely through the software error are being removed, while the remaining registrations are going to county officials for additional review.
Sherrill said the state is taking that extra step because its initial review indicates that a number of those individuals may be citizens. The governor’s statement did not give a final count of how many remaining cases involve citizens or explain the full basis for that initial finding.
That distinction matters because the state is trying to correct erroneous registrations without removing people who may be lawfully registered. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s national voter registration form says all states require U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal and state elections.
Fewer than 400 ballot casters identified
Sherrill said a preliminary analysis showed fewer than 400 of the people registered through the error went on to cast ballots, according to PBS.
That figure is central to the public debate, but the available reporting does not establish that every person in that group was ineligible at the time they voted or that any cases have been referred for prosecution.
PBS noted that noncitizen voting is rare, while also reporting that it is illegal and can be punished as a felony that can lead to deportation when found.
Political pressure and accountability
The New Jersey case lands inside a national argument over noncitizen voting. PBS reported that President Donald Trump and other Republicans continue to assert that voting by noncitizens is rampant in U.S. elections, while documented cases remain rare.
Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican, said he led a group of House Republicans in demanding answers from Sherrill after the state acknowledged the improper registrations. His office said the lawmakers want more information about how the error happened, why it was not caught sooner and what safeguards are now in place.
The error occurred during the 2023-24 period, when Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, was governor. PBS reported that the Associated Press was seeking comment from Murphy or his representatives after Sherrill’s announcement.
What voters still need to know
The state’s investigation will need to explain how the software allowed people who indicated noncitizen status to be registered, what testing or oversight failed and whether responsibility lies with the vendor, state officials or both.
For affected people, the immediate issue is notice and review. Sherrill said MVC has mailed letters and created a support website, while county election officials will review the remaining registrations to avoid disenfranchising lawfully registered voters.
The clean takeaway is that New Jersey has acknowledged a real registration failure and has started removing more than 4,500 records tied solely to that error. The harder task is proving that the rest of the cleanup separates erroneous registrations from eligible voters before anyone is wrongly removed.
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