Trenton, NJ – Gov. Mikie Sherrill is sharply criticizing the Murphy administration after revealing that approximately 6,600 non-U.S. citizens were mistakenly registered to vote through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), saying the error occurred before she took office and reflected serious failures in oversight.
According to Sherrill, the erroneous registrations occurred between June 2023 and June 2024 when applicants who answered “no” to a question asking whether they were U.S. citizens were nevertheless added to New Jersey’s voter rolls because of a software malfunction. She said fewer than 400 of those individuals cast ballots before the problem was identified.
Sherrill makes it clear, failures occurred before she took office
“This happened under the previous administration,” Sherrill said while announcing the findings. “These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked whether they were a U.S. citizen, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway.”
The governor also condemned what she described as a lack of accountability.
“I am appalled by the reckless failures that allowed this to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time,” Sherrill said. “This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now.”
Sherrill said she has ordered an internal investigation, directed officials to remove the erroneous registrations from the voter rolls, initiated a review of MVC procedures, and announced the state will replace the agency’s software vendor.
Murphy denies prior knowledge of the software error
The software issue occurred while former Gov. Phil Murphy was in office. Through spokesman Mahen Gunaratna, Murphy said he was unaware of the problem before Sherrill’s announcement.
“Prior to Tuesday, Governor Murphy had no knowledge of any software glitch at the Motor Vehicle Commission that resulted in non-citizens being inadvertently added to New Jersey’s voter rolls,” Gunaratna said. “He applauds Governor Sherrill for initiating a review and looks forward to the findings.”
There is currently no public evidence showing Murphy personally knew about the software malfunction before it was disclosed. Whether other officials within his administration were aware of the issue remains under investigation.
Election integrity debate intensifies
The disclosure has reignited debate over New Jersey’s automatic voter registration system, enacted during the Murphy administration, and the state’s policy allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Critics argue the combination increased the need for safeguards to prevent registration errors, while supporters note that state law does not permit non-citizens to vote and that Sherrill has attributed the registrations to a software failure rather than the policies themselves.
Republicans have seized on the announcement to call for legislative hearings, audits of the voter rolls, proof-of-citizenship requirements, and stronger election safeguards. New Jersey Republican State Committee Chair Christine Hanlon described the disclosed registrations as potentially the “tip of the iceberg.”
Sherrill has maintained there is no evidence at this time that the erroneous registrations altered the outcome of any election, but said her administration is committed to determining how the software failed, when state officials first became aware of the issue, and whether additional corrective actions are necessary.
