TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is refusing to comply with a U.S. Department of Justice request for records tied to the state’s mistaken registration of approximately 6,600 non-U.S. citizens to vote, setting up a potential legal clash between the state and the Trump administration over the federal investigation.
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The Justice Department is seeking the names and addresses of the roughly 6,600 individuals who were erroneously registered through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission between June 2023 and June 2024, including approximately 400 who later cast ballots. Sherrill said this week that her administration will not turn over that information, arguing the federal government is attempting to politicize the issue rather than address election administration.
“It is not a surprise to me … that the Trump administration wants to immediately weaponize this against people as opposed to focusing on making sure we’re running free and fair elections,” Sherrill said.
DOJ seeks records as federal investigation continues
The Justice Department opened its investigation after New Jersey disclosed that a software error in the MVC’s automatic voter registration system mistakenly registered thousands of applicants who had indicated they were not U.S. citizens.
Federal officials have requested documentation explaining how the error occurred, along with records identifying those who were mistakenly registered and those who ultimately voted.
In response to Sherrill’s refusal, the Department of Justice reiterated that federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
“It is illegal for any noncitizen to vote in a federal election,” the department said.
The DOJ has not publicly announced whether it intends to pursue legal action to obtain the requested records.
State blames software vendor for registration error
Sherrill said the registration mistake occurred before she took office, between June 2023 and June 2024, and blamed the problem on software used by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
According to the governor, applicants correctly identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens during MVC transactions but were nonetheless automatically added to the voter rolls because of a system error.
State officials say approximately 6,600 registrations were affected, while fewer than 400 of those individuals actually cast ballots. The administration has said there is no evidence that any election outcome was changed by the erroneous registrations.
New Jersey is removing the affected registrations and conducting its own internal review.
Software company disputes state’s explanation
Sherrill has identified IDEMIA, the MVC’s former software vendor, as being responsible for the registration error and said the company was already being replaced before the issue became public.
“I think it’s well known that the Motor Vehicle Commission has been a mess and IDEMIA is at the heart of that,” Sherrill said.
IDEMIA has rejected that claim, stating that its software accurately captured applicants’ responses regarding citizenship status. The company argues that responsibility for determining voter eligibility ultimately rests with the New Jersey Division of Elections and that the state approved the registrations despite applicants indicating they were not citizens.
Political and legal questions remain
The dispute has become one of the first major election integrity controversies facing Sherrill’s administration.
Republican lawmakers have called for legislative investigations and additional safeguards within New Jersey’s automatic voter registration system, while Democrats have emphasized that no evidence has emerged showing the registration error affected election results.
The governor has said New Jersey will conduct its own investigation into the incident even as the federal inquiry continues.
Why it matters
The central dispute has shifted beyond how the registration error occurred to whether New Jersey must provide the information requested by federal investigators.
If the state continues to withhold the records sought by the Department of Justice, the investigation could escalate into a legal battle over federal access to election records while New Jersey continues removing the erroneous registrations and reviewing how thousands of noncitizens were mistakenly added to the voter rolls.
