Washington, D.C. – Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to appoint an independent special prosecutor to investigate New Jersey’s reported non-citizen voter registration errors, arguing the matter raises serious questions about election integrity and possible violations of federal law.
In a July 21 letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Rose cited Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s recent announcement that approximately 6,600 individuals who identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens while obtaining driver’s licenses or state identification cards were nevertheless added to New Jersey’s voter registration rolls between June 2023 and June 2024.
Congressman seeks independent federal investigation
Rose wrote that the allegations warrant an investigation independent of New Jersey state agencies.
“I respectfully request the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the circumstances surrounding this clear-cut case of voter fraud,” Rose wrote. “This investigation should determine whether any laws or regulations were violated, identify any misconduct, systemic failures, or lapses in oversight that allowed this fraud to occur and persist.”
The congressman also questioned how the registrations went undetected for an extended period and whether existing safeguards were sufficient to prevent ineligible individuals from being added to the state’s voter rolls.
Letter cites governor’s announcement
In his letter, Rose referenced Sherrill’s statement that roughly 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens were registered to vote because of what the governor described as a software error in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission system.
Sherrill also said a preliminary analysis found that fewer than 400 individuals who were newly registered because of the error ultimately cast ballots. The governor ordered an investigation, directed election officials to remove improperly registered individuals from the voter rolls, and announced plans to replace the vendor responsible for the MVC system.
Questions remain over what caused the registrations
Rose’s request comes as conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the cause of the registrations.
While Sherrill attributed the issue to a “serious software error,” MVC vendor IDEMIA has disputed that characterization. The company said its role is to transmit voter registration information collected through the MVC to the New Jersey Division of Elections and that the Division of Elections is “ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote.” IDEMIA’s statement does not acknowledge that a software malfunction occurred.
As of Wednesday, the Department of Justice had not publicly responded to Rose’s request for a special prosecutor, and no federal investigation had been announced.
The governor’s office has said its own investigation into the voter registration issue remains ongoing.
