About 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens while obtaining New Jersey driver's licenses and other state IDs were improperly registered to vote in 2023 and 2024, Governor Mikie Sherrill said on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The Democratic governor, who took office this year, blamed a Motor Vehicle Commission system software error but said a preliminary analysis showed that fewer than 400 of the people registered that way went on to cast ballots, according to PBS NewsHour and CBS News.

Main Story

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced on July 21, 2026, that a serious software error at the state's Motor Vehicle Commission led to approximately 6,600 noncitizens being registered to vote between June 2023 and June 2024. The error occurred when individuals applying for driver's licenses or identification cards answered 'no' on a keypad when asked if they were U.S. citizens, but the system registered them anyway, according to PBS NewsHour and BBC News.

Sherrill, a Democrat who took office in 2026, said a preliminary analysis showed that fewer than 400 of those improperly registered went on to cast ballots. The affected individuals were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters and were scattered across the state, according to NBC News. Sherrill added that it is unclear at this point which elections they voted in and that there was no evidence that any elections were swayed as a result.

Why It Matters

The revelation comes as President Donald Trump and other Republicans continue to assert that voting by noncitizens is rampant in U.S. elections, even though it is rare and, when caught, can be punished as a felony that can lead to deportation, as noted by PBS NewsHour. Trump has claimed that more than a quarter of a million noncitizens were registered to vote in four states, though the administration has yet to provide details of how it arrived at that figure, according to CBS News. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said they were registered in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada. The estimate was based on an analysis of commercial databases, a method likely to lead to false positives and significantly overestimate the number of potential noncitizens on voter rolls, according to David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, as reported by CBS News.

Political Context

Governor Sherrill expressed outrage over the error, stating that she was appalled by the reckless failures that allowed it to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time, according to PBS NewsHour. The error occurred under former Governor Phil Murphy, also a Democrat. Sherrill has ordered that erroneously added voter registrations be removed and is replacing the vendor who ran the system. She is also launching an investigation into how the error happened, as reported by CBS News.

Sherrill contrasted her administration's response with that of the Trump administration, saying that when a problem is found, it should be investigated, fixed, and disclosed to the public, rather than hidden or used to invent conspiracies, according to BBC News. The disclosure comes as the Trump administration pushes for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would impose new photo ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements to vote, as noted by NBC News.

What Officials and Groups Are Saying

Governor Sherrill said the noncitizens were registered through no fault of their own because of a serious software error in New Jersey's Motor Vehicle System between June 2023 and June 2024. She emphasized that the individuals answered 'no' when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers' licenses and identification cards, but the system registered them anyway, according to NBC News. Sherrill also noted that while the number of noncitizens who cast ballots in New Jersey represents a tiny percentage of the state's overall electorate, the finding could add fuel to President Trump's claims that noncitizens are voting in large numbers in U.S. elections.

New Jersey is among several states that allow noncitizens to hold driver's licenses and other state-issued ID cards, as reported by PBS NewsHour. The Associated Press was making efforts to contact former Governor Phil Murphy or his representatives for comment.

Timeline

  • June 2023 – June 2024: Software error at New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission improperly registers 6,600 noncitizens to vote.
  • July 21, 2026: Governor Mikie Sherrill announces the error, orders removal of registrations, replacement of vendor, and investigation.
  • July 2026: Trump administration pushes SAVE America Act requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the error happen?

Applicants for driver's licenses or ID cards answered 'no' on a keypad when asked if they were U.S. citizens, but a software error in the Motor Vehicle Commission system registered them to vote anyway, according to BBC News.

How many noncitizens actually voted?

Fewer than 400 of the 6,600 improperly registered individuals cast ballots, according to CBS News.

Were any elections affected?

Governor Sherrill stated there is no evidence that any election outcomes were swayed, as reported by NBC News.

What is being done to fix the problem?

Sherrill has ordered the removal of erroneous voter registrations, is replacing the vendor responsible for the system, and has launched an investigation into the error, according to PBS NewsHour.

How does this relate to national debates on voting?

The error comes as President Trump pushes for stricter voter ID laws, claiming widespread noncitizen voting, though such voting is rare, as noted by CBS News.

What Happens Next

Governor Sherrill has vowed to address the software error by removing improperly registered voters, replacing the vendor, and conducting a thorough investigation. The incident is likely to intensify the national debate over election integrity and voter ID requirements, with the Trump administration using it to bolster calls for the SAVE America Act. New Jersey residents and election officials will be watching closely to ensure that such an error does not recur and that voter confidence is restored.