Why It Matters
A software malfunction at New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission allowed thousands of noncitizens to register to vote over a yearlong period, raising questions about election security safeguards and the integrity of the state’s automatic voter registration system tied to driver’s license processing.
What Happened
New Jersey officials announced Tuesday that approximately 6,600 noncitizens registered to vote through a glitch in the Motor Vehicle Commission’s electronic system beginning in June 2023. The problem stemmed from a citizenship verification question presented only in English on touchscreen pads used during vehicle-related transactions. Residents who did not speak or read English fluently sometimes failed to answer the question correctly, allowing noncitizens to be added to the voter rolls through the state’s automatic motor-voter registration process.
Governor Mikie Sherrill learned of the matter on July 15 and immediately launched an independent investigation. The administration found that approximately 400 of the 6,600 registered noncitizens had actually voted in at least one election before their names were discovered and removed from the rolls.
The software error was traced to Idemia, a French technology vendor contracted to manage Motor Vehicle Commission systems. New Jersey has since upgraded the electronic pads to display citizenship verification questions in five languages, designed to reduce future registration errors among non-English speakers.
By the Numbers
6,600 — noncitizens registered to vote via the software glitch
400 — noncitizens who voted in at least one election
June 2023 — when the software error began
5 — languages now available on Motor Vehicle Commission citizenship verification screens
35,152 — noncitizens the Department of Homeland Security alleged were on New Jersey voter rolls in its federal letter to state officials
The DHS Allegation
The discovery comes after the Department of Homeland Security sent letters to New Jersey, California, Nevada, and Pennsylvania in July alleging that thousands of noncitizens appeared on state voter rolls. The agency specifically claimed New Jersey had 35,152 noncitizens registered. However, as of Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security had not provided New Jersey with evidence to support those figures. The state’s actual count of 6,600 through the motor-voter glitch represents a fraction of the federal agency’s allegation, and officials remain uncertain whether additional noncitizens are registered through other pathways.
Zoom Out
Automatic voter registration tied to motor vehicle transactions has expanded nationwide over the past decade as states sought to increase registration rates. New Jersey implemented bipartisan election integrity reforms four years ago designed to strengthen safeguards in the registration process. Concerns about noncitizen voter registration have surfaced periodically across multiple states, often coinciding with broader debates over election security and immigration enforcement. The New Jersey case illustrates how language barriers and technical systems can create gaps in citizenship verification even within states that have enacted formal election integrity measures.
Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell stated that the state’s response to the issue demonstrated operational strength: “It looks like we’re doing it right in New Jersey, and so there’s no need to change a winning game.” Shona Mack-Pollock, superintendent of elections in Passaic County, noted that many of the affected noncitizens voluntarily disclosed their status when contacted: “We do have people coming into our office and when they do learn they’ve been registered they’re really apologetic.”
What’s Next
New Jersey will complete its independent investigation into the scope of the software error and determine whether other system vulnerabilities exist in the motor-voter registration process. The state continues removing noncitizens from voter rolls and is monitoring whether the Homeland Security agency provides supporting documentation for its broader allegation of 35,152 noncitizens. Election officials are also reviewing whether additional safeguards beyond the multilingual citizenship screens are warranted to prevent similar errors in future registration cycles.