The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for July 28, 2026
A software design error in an automatic voter registration system, compounded by a slow New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission response to correct it, apparently led to the voter registration of approximately 6,600 noncitizens. As many as 400 noncitizens subsequently voted.
In her July 21st announcement, Governor Mikie Sherrill said that during the process of obtaining a legal noncitizen driver’s license or state identification, those applicants were still offered an opportunity to register to vote under the state’s automatic voter registration program. Sherrill said that the software design error was discovered by the commission in 2023, but it was not apparently not known outside the department.
Compounding the situation, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission took until 2024 to fix it. Sherrill said in a press conference, “It’s unacceptable that the vendor released software with such a glaring error. It’s unacceptable that the MVC took a year to get this issue fixed, and it’s unacceptable that no one, in the previous administration, brought this to light, demanded accountability, or took action.”
Sherrill promised a full investigation, but said it does not appear the 400 noncitizen voters scattered across the state affected the outcome of any elections. She has called for the termination of the software vendor’s contract.
We’ve linked to the New Jersey Monitor’s reporting and the governor’s press conference at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
New Jersey Office of the Governor – Governor Sherrill Holds Press Conference Regarding Voter Registration
New Jersey Monitor – NJ governor says 6K non-citizens were registered to vote, 400 voted thanks to ‘software error’
New Jersey Monitor – Company at center of NJ voter registration scandal has multiple state contracts
Cato Institute – Would the SAVE America Act Have Prevented the New Jersey Noncitizen Voter Snafu? Maybe, Maybe Not.
The Jersey Vindicator – The Vindicator explains: How 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote in New Jersey
Bipartisan Policy Institute – Four Things to Know about Noncitizen Voting
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – (2024) Research Shows Trump’s Debate Claim of Widespread Voting by Noncitizens is Nonsense
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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