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The White House and federal officials criticized New Jersey Democrats on Tuesday after Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that thousands of noncitizens were improperly registered to vote under former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration.
President Donald Trump’s administration said the “software glitch” in New Jersey was the result of Democrats refusing to support a federal system that would confirm citizenship before registering anyone to vote in elections.
“Democrats and their allies in the media have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot. Time and again, they have been proven wrong,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
Sherrill announced Tuesday that 6,600 noncitizens in New Jerey were registered to vote through the error in the state Motor Vehicle Commission system in 2023 and 2024.
The individuals applying for driver’s licenses and identification cards answered “no” on a keypad when asked by the agency if they were U.S. citizens, the first-year governor said. But the system registered them to vote anyway.
About 400 of the noncitizens voted in elections across New Jersey after they were registered, state officials said.
The White House used Sherrill’s announcement to renew calls for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require ID to vote in the U.S., among other provisions.
“Every illegal ballot dilutes the voice of a lawful American citizen and undermines election integrity,” the White House said. “These incidents are not random errors; they are the predictable result of Democrat policies that refuse to verify citizenship.”
Sherrill said New Jersey is investigating the software glitch and why it was not publicly revealed under Murphy, a fellow Democrat.
“I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter. As a military veteran who swore an oath to defend our Constitution, and as a former federal prosecutor, I believe the integrity of our elections is fundamental to our democracy,” Sherrill said during a news conference at the Statehouse in Trenton.
Sherrill’s announcement followed a U.S. Department of Homeland Security social media post last week that claimed the Trump administration had identified an estimated 35,000 noncitizens registered to vote in New Jersey.
Sherrill said Tuesday state officials were aware of the allegation and had contacted the federal Homeland Security department for additional information.
“Appreciate you responding back to our letter, Governor Sherrill. This should’ve been done a long time ago,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote in a statement on social media Tuesday. ”Just one illegal vote cancels out the vote of a U.S. citizen.
“Looking forward to working with you to secure your elections in the future,” Mullin added.
Republicans in New Jersey swiftly criticized the software error, calling for a full audit of the state’s voter rolls and a pause to the Motor Vehicle Commission’s automatic voter registration program.
Sherrill said her administration is working to replace the vendor responsible for the system and expects to have a new provider in place next year.
Idemeia, the vendor identified by the Sherrill administration, said in a statement that the company’s role is to “transmit information through the motor vehicle system. The voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote. Information submitted by Idemeia must still be validated and adjudicated by the Division of Elections.”
. The France-based firm also provides TSA PreCheck and FBI-approved fingerprinting services.
NJ.com staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.
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