Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration has removed approximately 5,100 people from New Jersey’s voter rolls after determining that they were registered solely because of a Motor Vehicle Commission software error and had never separately attested that they were eligible to vote.
Another 1,450 registrations have been marked as rejected, preventing those individuals from voting while county election officials determine whether they are eligible.
The administration also disclosed that approximately 340 people registered because of the error subsequently voted.
State officials identified another 220 people affected by the software failure who voted but also had earlier voter registrations or separate attestations indicating they may have been validly registered. County officials are reviewing their records to ensure eligible voters are not disenfranchised.
The new information clarifies that the 220 cases do not necessarily represent additional noncitizens who voted. Rather, they involve people caught in the software review whose other records may establish their eligibility.
“My administration has continued to move aggressively to fix the error at the Motor Vehicle Commission under the previous administration, to correct our voter rolls, and to protect the voting rights of eligible New Jerseyans,” Sherrill said. “I said we would conduct a thorough, complete, and fair investigation, and that is exactly what we are doing.”
The error affected approximately 6,600 people who applied for driver’s licenses or state identification cards between June 2023 and June 2024. Although they answered “No” when asked whether they were U.S. citizens, their information was still transmitted for voter-registration processing without the required attestation of eligibility.
The problem began during Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration, was corrected after one year, and was not disclosed publicly until July 2026. Murphy has said he did not know about it while serving as governor.
Sherrill briefly took the Statewide Voter Registration System offline to preserve its records and allow the Division of Elections to change the status of those affected.
The 5,100 people placed in deleted status had no other registration, attestation, or transaction indicating eligibility. The 1,450 rejected registrations involve individuals with separate applications, attestations, or other records requiring additional examination.
Those 1,450 people cannot vote unless their eligibility is verified. Sherrill directed counties to complete their reviews before voting begins.
The remaining cases include people who may have become citizens after the MVC transaction or submitted a valid registration through another channel.
Sherrill accused Republicans of attempting to exploit the controversy.
“That stands in contrast to the Trump administration and Republicans, whose only interest has been in trying to use this issue for political gain,” she said.
The MVC mailed notices in English and Spanish to affected residents confirming that they had answered “No” to the citizenship question. The state has maintained that the erroneous registrations occurred through no fault of those residents and has said it will not prosecute someone merely for having been registered improperly.
The documentation could be important for green-card holders and other immigrants concerned that an improper registration could jeopardize a future citizenship application. Sherrill has acknowledged that the Trump administration could pursue noncitizens who cast ballots.
The U.S. Department of Justice sought unredacted New Jersey voter information after the registrations became public. Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters told the New Jersey Globe that noncitizens who voted illegally should be prosecuted.
All 15 Republican state senators and 23 GOP Assembly members have called for legislative hearings. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco has proposed a bipartisan select committee with subpoena power and questioned whether the administration’s investigation was too narrowly focused on the MVC failure.
Ocean County officials previously identified more than 100 people believed to be noncitizens who were removed from the rolls after the statewide system returned online, including 12 who had voted. Some apparently registered through paper applications or other methods unrelated to the software error.
Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (R-Point Pleasant Beach), a potential candidate for governor in 2029, has asked the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the House Judiciary Committee to investigate. He also wants voter records compared with the approximately 75,000 people excused from jury duty each year after identifying themselves as noncitizens.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), chairman of its Oversight Subcommittee, are leading a congressional investigation.
Van Drew and 17 other House Republicans gave Sherrill until August 21 to answer 12 questions about how the registrations occurred, why the problem went undetected, which elections were affected and whether state officials or contractors would be held responsible.
Jordan, Van Drew and two other Republican committee leaders have demanded records from Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, New Jersey’s secretary of state and chief election officer, and IDEMIA, the identity and security technology company involved in the MVC system.
The lawmakers are seeking communications between IDEMIA and the MVC to reconcile conflicting accounts. Sherrill blamed an IDEMIA software error, while the company said its system accurately recorded both the applicants’ registration requests and their statements that they were not citizens, leaving that information available to the state.
The congressional inquiry could lead to hearings and subpoenas.
It remains unclear which elections the affected people participated in, whether anyone voted multiple times, or whether any ballots changed the outcome of a close race.
New Jersey has had several elections decided by single digits, including a 2025 Oakland Borough Council contest that ended in a tie and led to a court-ordered special election.
Republicans have called for the state’s automatic voter-registration program to be suspended until the investigation is completed and additional safeguards are established.
Sherrill said the state investigation into the error remains ongoing and that county election officials will handle all remaining registration changes.
“I am grateful to everyone who has been working around the clock on remediation efforts and reviewing our records with a fine-toothed comb, to preserve the integrity of our voter rolls, and ensure that our elections remain free and fair,” stated Sherrill.
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