The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is advising noncitizens who were mistakenly registered to vote due to a software error to contact election officials and request removal from the voter rolls.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Division of Elections will remove thousands of noncitizens mistakenly added to the voter rolls and refer those who cast ballots to county election boards for investigation, county election officials were told during a conference call on Thursday.
The state’s list of affected voters is still being compiled and is not yet available to county officials, according to information provided during the call.
The Division of Elections will handle the removal of ineligible voters and send communications directly to noncitizens who were improperly registered. The fewer than 400 individuals who cast ballots will be referred to their county boards of elections, which will be responsible for investigating those cases.
The new details came as the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission launched a state website explaining how approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered after completing MVC transactions between June 2023 and June 2024.
Those individuals told the MVC they were not United States citizens and did not attest that they were eligible to vote, but a vendor’s software transmitted their information for voter registration processing anyway.
The MVC is also advising noncitizens who believe they were mistakenly registered to contact the Division of Elections or their county commissioner of registration and ask to be removed from the rolls. Some counties have already begun to hear from voters seeking to be removed from the voter rolls, the New Jersey Globe confirmed.
The agency said it is mailing letters to people affected by the error. Those notices will document the answer recorded when each individual was asked on an MVC pin pad whether they were a United States citizen.
“If you are not a U.S. citizen, you are not eligible to vote,” the MVC said.
The Division of Elections, in coordination with the County Commissioners of Registration as necessary, is working to notify individuals and confirm that any individuals erroneously registered as a result of the software error are taken off the voter rolls.
“If you are not a United States citizen and you believe you have mistakenly been registered to vote, you should contact the Division of Elections or the Commissioner of Registration in your county — either the Superintendent of Elections or the Board of Elections in counties without a Superintendent — and request that your name be taken off the voter rolls,” the MVC stated on its website.
That documentation could be especially important for immigrants concerned that an erroneous voter registration might jeopardize a future citizenship application. The website does not say whether the mistake will affect their ability to become citizens, instead directing affected residents to legal resources offered through the Office of New Americans and other organizations.
“New Jersey residents who were erroneously registered due to the MVC software error may choose to seek legal services,” the website stated.
A preliminary review found that fewer than 400 people registered through the software error later cast ballots. The state said there is no evidence that their votes changed the result of an election. They were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters and were scattered across New Jersey.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill ordered her chief counsel to conduct an independent investigation into the error, which occurred during the administration of former Gov. Phil Murphy. Murphy said he didn’t learn about the controversy until this week.
The investigation is in progress.
“The State of New Jersey is committed to ensuring the integrity of our elections and expanding access to our democracy for all eligible New Jerseyans,” the MVC wrote on its website. “We are also committed to ensuring the privacy and safety of all New Jerseyans from threats, harassment, and voter intimidation.”
Some Republican leaders have called for the immediate suspension of the state’s motor voter law until the system is deemed reliable and accurate. There have also been calls to prosecute noncitizens who cast illegal votes in recent elections.
The MVC is replacing IDEMIA, the vendor responsible for the software. The company is not named on the new website.
Citizens who believe their registrations were mistakenly deactivated may submit new voter registration applications to county election officials. New Jersey’s registration deadline is 21 days before an election. Voters may confirm their status through the Division of Elections voter-search portal.
