New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill recently announced a software error within the state’s motor vehicle registration system led to the erroneous addition of 6,600 noncitizens to the voter registration list. A preliminary investigation indicated that approximately 400 votes were cast by noncitizens in the 2024 election, a figure that starkly contrasts with the inflated claims of “thousands of votes” made by former President Donald Trump.
This announcement has drawn the attention of Trump, who has long asserted without substantial evidence that noncitizen voting is rampant across the United States. In a speech, Trump cited the New Jersey incident, suggesting it validated his claims. He stated that these voters had influenced numerous important issues, portraying them as a significant threat to electoral integrity.
However, election experts have consistently refuted such assertions, noting that incidents of noncitizen voting occur infrequently. Analysis of the situation in New Jersey reveals the 400 votes cast by noncitizens were not sufficient to affect the larger electoral outcome. In the 2024 presidential race, for example, Trump lost to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris by over 252,000 votes in New Jersey.
According to Sherrill, the noncitizens were inadvertently registered due to the software malfunction. When individuals applied for driver’s licenses or state identification, they sometimes indicated their noncitizen status, but the software failed to process this correctly, automatically registering them to vote. IDEMIA, the contractor responsible for the software, affirmed that the information was recorded correctly, but measures have since been taken to rectify the issue.
Sherrill emphasized that the problem does not substantiate the former president’s claims regarding widespread noncitizen voting, calling Trump’s statements about election integrity devoid of credibility. She reiterated that the incident is concerning but underscores the rarity of noncitizen voting within the larger electoral framework.
David Becker, the executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, highlighted that the number of noncitizen registrations in New Jersey represents a minuscule fraction of the total voter base and does not challenge the broader conclusions drawn by electoral studies regarding noncitizen voting.
As New Jersey takes steps to address this oversight and protect those who were mistakenly registered, this incident serves as a reminder of the complexities of voter registration systems and the critical need for maintaining accurate and secure electoral processes.
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