How many noncitizens actually voted in New Jersey elections?

According to Governor Sherrill, fewer than 400 of the approximately 6,600 improperly registered individuals cast ballots. These votes were spread across the state and included people registered as Democrats, Republicans, or unaffiliated.

When did this software error occur at the Motor Vehicle Commission?

The governor stated that the serious software error affected New Jersey's Motor Vehicle System between June 2023 and June 2024. This period falls within the previous administration before Governor Sherrill took office.

Who is leading the investigation into these voter registration errors?

Governor Sherrill promised a full investigation overseen by her chief counsel, and the state has hired Roseland-based CSG Law to conduct an independent review. Federal investigators have also launched their own probe into the matter.

Sherrill: Murphy hid proof that software error registered noncitizens

Governor Mikie Sherrill announced a federal probe into an MVA glitch that improperly enrolled thousands of voters during the previous administration.

By The Eleventh staff · July 29, 2026 · AI-assisted, grounded in the cited sources below

TRENTON, Governor Mikie Sherrill stated on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, that her predecessor hid proof regarding illegal voter registration caused by a software error. The governor revealed that approximately 6,600 individuals were improperly registered to vote between June 2023 and June 2024 while the state was under previous leadership.

Sherrill described the incident as a serious software failure at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission that allowed noncitizens to appear on voter rolls. She noted that these individuals truthfully answered no when asked if they were U.S. citizens during their driver's license application process, yet the system registered them anyway.

The Scope of Registration Errors

The governor confirmed that a preliminary analysis found fewer than 400 of those improperly registered people actually cast ballots in past elections. These votes were spread across the state and included individuals who had registered as Democrats, Republicans, or unaffiliated voters according to official statements.

Sherrill emphasized that there is currently no evidence suggesting these faulty votes tipped the balance in any specific election results despite the high number of registrations involved. The error occurred specifically within a one-year window where the software failed to filter out noncitizens who had opted out of registration on their forms.

Federal and State Investigations Begin

Federal investigators have now launched a probe into the voter registration errors that allowed thousands of noncitizens to register even when they indicated otherwise. House members say they plan hearings into the system failure, signaling a broader look at how state agencies manage election data integrity.

Governor Sherrill promised a full investigation led by her chief counsel and stated the state has hired an independent firm named CSG Law based in Roseland to conduct the review with all possible haste. The editorial board of USA TODAY Network New Jersey argues this mess requires an independent, bipartisan probe rather than one run solely out of the governor's office.

Accountability for Past Administration

Sherrill asserted that former Governor Phil Murphy hid proof of illegal voter registration before she took office and learned about the issue last Wednesday. She indicated that state officials will remove all ineligible voters from the rolls immediately to prevent further complications in upcoming elections.

The governor also announced plans to replace the vendor responsible for the software error at the Motor Vehicle Commission to ensure such glitches do not happen again under her administration. Sources suggest criminal charges should be brought against anyone who knowingly ignored or contributed to the problem if warranted by the findings of these investigations.

Impact on Local Election Integrity

This admission comes as election integrity has become a flashpoint nationally with President Donald Trump renewing his push for stricter voting laws ahead of midterm elections. While repeated reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud in previous cycles, this discovery is likely to fuel heated debates about noncitizen voting vulnerabilities.

The news puts weight behind the idea that voters should prove their identity at the polls, a proposal Democrats have so far resisted but which editorial boards say deserves due consideration. Residents may face new scrutiny or changes to how they verify eligibility as state officials work through this complex situation involving thousands of names on the rolls.

What Happens Next for Voters

State officials will remove ineligible voters from the registration lists and are working with federal partners to understand why the problem was not disclosed sooner by previous leadership. The governor deserves credit for coming forward, but the focus now shifts to ensuring transparency as the independent firm begins its detailed review of the software logs.

For residents in Morris, Essex, and Passaic counties, this means their local voter rolls may be subject to audits or corrections as part of the statewide cleanup effort. The sequence of events shows a gap between when noncitizens applied for licenses and when they were erroneously added to voting databases without their intent.

The timeline indicates that Sherrill only learned of the issue last Wednesday before holding her animated news conference on Tuesday, July 21, to address the public. She stressed that while fewer than 400 votes were cast by these individuals, the scale of the registration error involving 6,600 people demands a serious and immediate response from state authorities.