New Jersey orders audit after software error registers 6,600 non-citizens to vote

A software error in New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) system led to the improper voter registration of approximately 6,600 non-citizens between June 2023 and June 2024, state officials confirmed. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced that a preliminary analysis indicates fewer than 400 of those erroneously registered individuals went on to cast ballots in recent elections.

According to state officials, the issue stemmed from a programming defect in the automated database system managed by vendor Idemia. Individuals who indicated on keypads that they were not U.S. citizens when applying for driver's licenses or state identification cards were nonetheless added to the voter rolls.

The software glitch, which occurred under the administration of former Governor Phil Murphy, was corrected in June 2024, but its full scope was only discovered recently. Governor Sherrill, who took office in January 2026, expressed outrage over the administrative failure and what she described as a lack of transparency from the previous administration. She has ordered the immediate removal of all affected registrations from the rolls and announced that the state is replacing the system vendor.

The administrative breakdown has drawn sharp focus to the challenges of maintaining secure public-sector IT infrastructure, particularly as voting system integrity remains a highly charged issue nationally. Former federal and state officials emphasized that there is currently no evidence that any of the improperly cast ballots altered the outcome of recent New Jersey elections. However, the revelation has prompted immediate calls from both Democratic and Republican state legislators for comprehensive audits of state motor vehicle and election databases.

As state IT specialists and election officials work to clean up the voter rolls and restore public confidence, the political fallout continues to grow. The Trump administration has seized on the disclosure to advocate for federal voting legislation, while New Jersey officials pledge that the state's upcoming investigations will ensure full accountability and prevent future automated registration discrepancies.