Software error led to voter registration of 6600 non-U.S. citizens in NJ, governor says

Software error led to voter registration of about 6,600 non-U.S. citizens in New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said, after a problem in the state Motor Vehicle System. Speaking at a Trenton press conference on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Sherrill said the error occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, when her predecessor, Gov. Phil Murphy, was in office. She said individuals answered “no” on a keypad when asked if they were U.S. citizens while applying for driver’s licenses or identification cards, but the system registered them anyway. Sherrill said fewer than 400 of those mistakenly registered actually voted. The registrations included Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters across the state. Sherrill ordered an investigation, directed removal of affected residents from voter rolls, and said NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Rosalie Johnson is working to replace the system’s vendor.