Software Error at NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Registered 6,600 Noncitizens to Vote

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who took office in 2026, announced that a software error within the state's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) system led to approximately 6,600 noncitizens being improperly registered to vote. According to officials, these individuals had indicated on their applications that they were not U.S. citizens, but the system error nonetheless processed and registered them as voters. The announcement was made public on July 21, 2026. A preliminary analysis conducted following discovery of the error found that fewer than 400 of the 6,600 improperly registered individuals actually cast ballots. One report specified that the ballots in question were cast in elections held between 2023 and 2024, though this timeframe was not confirmed across all accounts. Gov. Sherrill attributed the registrations directly to the software malfunction rather than intentional fraud or a systemic policy failure. The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the matter, according to at least one report. The scope and duration of the software error, including how long it went undetected and how many election cycles were affected beyond the cited 2023-2024 period, remain unclear from available reporting. It is also not yet established what corrective measures the Motor Vehicle Commission has implemented to prevent similar registrations going forward, nor whether any of the ballots cast by improperly registered noncitizens will be reviewed, challenged, or invalidated. The full findings of the Justice Department's investigation and its potential outcomes have not been detailed in current coverage.