TRENTON, N.J. – A new dispute over election integrity erupted this week after President Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had identified 35,152 non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey, prompting renewed calls from state Republicans for a full investigation. State Democrats and Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration disputed broader allegations of widespread fraud, pointing instead to an ongoing investigation into a previously disclosed voter registration system error.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that “35,152 is the new number just released by Homeland Security of non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey,” adding that he believes the true number is higher. The president did not provide supporting documentation for the figure in his post, and federal agencies have not publicly released details explaining how the number was calculated.
The DHS figure was taken from an independent agency audit of voter rolls in New Jersey.
State says software error affected voter registrations
The controversy follows Mikie Sherrill’s announcement that New Jersey uncovered a software error in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission voter registration system; however, the state vendor denied that allegation, saying their software is not the final checkpoint to ensure the legitimacy of newly registered voters.
According to Governor Mikie Sherrill, the problem affected approximately 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens while applying for driver’s licenses or identification cards between June 2023 and June 2024. Despite selecting “no” when asked about citizenship, the individuals were mistakenly registered to vote because of what Sherrill described as a software malfunction.
“This happened under the previous administration and, upon learning this information, I immediately ordered my chief counsel to launch an investigation to get to the bottom of what occurred,” Sherill said in a public statement.
The governor said his administration also directed election officials to remove anyone who was improperly added to voter rolls during that period and has begun replacing the vendor responsible for the affected MVC system.
Sherrill’s office said its preliminary review found that fewer than 400 people who were newly registered because of the error ultimately cast ballots. Those voters were registered across multiple party affiliations, including Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters.
Republicans seek broader investigation
New Jersey Republicans have argued the newly cited federal figure warrants a broader investigation into the state’s voter registration system and election safeguards. They contend that additional reviews are needed to determine whether non-citizens were improperly registered or voted beyond the cases already identified by the state.
Sherrill rejected claims of widespread election fraud and criticized Trump’s broader election rhetoric.
“As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections,” Sherrill said. “The difference is simple: when we find a problem, we don’t hide it, deny it, or invent conspiracies. We investigate it, we fix it, and we tell the public.”
The governor added that New Jersey residents should remain confident that eligible citizens can vote, lawful ballots will be counted, and election officials will continue taking steps to protect the integrity of the state’s elections.
What happens next
State officials said the investigation into the MVC software failure remains ongoing while voter rolls continue to be reviewed for any improperly registered individuals. It is not yet clear whether federal officials will release additional information regarding the 35,152 figure referenced by Trump or whether it reflects registrations, attempted registrations, or another category of records.
The differing claims have intensified debate over election administration in New Jersey, with state officials emphasizing the confirmed software error and corrective actions already underway, while Republicans continue pressing for additional oversight and investigation.
