Approximately 6,600 individuals who are not citizens were unintentionally included in New Jersey’s voter registrations, with around 400 of them casting invalid ballots in recent elections, the governor of the state revealed on Tuesday.
Governor Mikie Sherrill, a member of the Democratic Party, explained that this issue originated from a significant software error at the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission, which began in 2023, prior to her tenure. She noted that despite these individuals indicating their non-citizen status when applying for a driver’s license, they were registered to vote “through no fault of their own.”
The governor’s unexpected announcement came just five days following President Donald Trump’s national address in which he asserted that there are significantly more non-citizens on voter rolls than previously recognized.
“While the Trump Administration seeks to politicize elections for their own benefit, I am committed to safeguarding our electoral process… The distinction is clear: when we uncover an issue, we do not conceal it, deny it, or create conspiracies. We investigate, rectify, and inform the public,” Sherrill stated on X.
Sherrill’s revelation corroborates some of Trump’s claims made during his primetime speech and provides him with a compelling new data point in his advocacy for increased examination of state voter registrations. This information is likely to be highlighted by his supporters who have been advocating for more stringent citizenship verification and other measures aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from participating in U.S. elections.
“As President Trump has emphasized, the integrity of our elections is paramount. This recent incident highlights the urgent need for the SAVE America Act,” stated White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, referring to the legislation currently stalled in Congress that would mandate proof of citizenship for voter registrations, among other new restrictions.
Nonetheless, Sherrill’s clarification also highlighted what election officials have maintained for many years: non-citizen inclusion on voter rolls typically occurs by mistake or unintentionally. Furthermore, illegal voting by non-citizens is not as widespread as Trump suggests. The 400 ineligible individuals participated in elections where millions of eligible voters in New Jersey cast their ballots.
According to Sherrill, these 400 ineligible voters were registered across various parties, including Democrats, Republicans, and independents, further countering Trump’s previous assertions regarding systemic voter fraud favoring Democrats by undocumented immigrants. She noted that they were “distributed throughout the state.”
She mentioned that she discovered the improper registrations “last week.”
USdaily’s Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.
