Roughly 6,600 noncitizens were unwittingly registered to vote in New Jersey between 2023 and 2024, Gov.Mikie Sherrill said Tuesday.
Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Of that number, roughly 400 improperly cast votes, she said.“They were registered as Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters and were scattered across the state,” said Sherrill, a Democrat.
She added that it is unclear at this point which elections they voted in and that there was “no evidence at this time that any elections were swayed” as a result.Sherill said the names are currently being removed from the voter rolls, and that the noncitizens had been registered through no fault of their own because of “a serious software error in New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle System” between June of 2023 and June of 2024.
“These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S.citizen when applying for drivers’ licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” Sherrill said.
While the number of noncitizens who cast ballots in New Jersey accounts for a small percentage of the state’s overall electorate, the finding could add fuel to President Donald Trump’s claims that they are voting in large numbers in U.S.elections.
He used a primetime speech from the White House last week to push Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would impose new photo ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements to vote.“As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections,” Sherrill said.
“Let me be clear: Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity.Sherrill, who took office in January, said the mistake happened during former Democratic Gov.Phil Murphy’s tenure.
She said that it was “unacceptable that no one in the prior administration brought this to light, de...