New Jersey Says 6,600 Self-Identified Noncitizens Erroneously Registered Through DMV System
On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said about 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens were improperly registered to vote through the state's Motor Vehicle Commission system.[1]
Sherrill said a preliminary analysis shows fewer than 400 of those erroneously registered people actually cast ballots.[1] She said the state will remove those 2023-24 registrations, replace the motor-vehicle system vendor and open an investigation into how the software error occurred.[1]
The registrations came after people marked themselves as noncitizens while applying for New Jersey driver's licenses or other IDs in 2023 and 2024.[2] The CBS report contrasted New Jersey's count with a White House and Homeland Security claim that more than 250,000 noncitizens are registered to vote across four states, noting that estimate relies on commercial databases.[1]
Election-law expert David Becker warned that the White House methodology is likely to produce many false positives and could lead states to break the law if they use it to purge voter rolls.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said about 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens while obtaining New Jersey driver's licenses or other IDs were improperly registered to vote in 2023-24 (Gov. Mikie Sherrill).
- Sherrill said a preliminary analysis shows that fewer than 400 of those erroneously registered individuals actually cast ballots (preliminary analysis).
- Sherrill is removing the 2023-24 erroneous registrations, replacing the Motor Vehicle Commission system vendor, and launching an investigation into how the software error occurred (Motor Vehicle Commission system vendor).
- The CBS report contrasts the New Jersey error with President Trump's and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's claim that more than 250,000 noncitizens are registered across four states, noting the administration’s estimate is based on commercial databases (President Trump's and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's claim).
- Election-law expert David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation and Research warned the White House methodology is likely to produce many false positives and could lead states to break the law if they use it to purge voter rolls (David Becker).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Gov. Mikie Sherrill reiterated that about 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens while obtaining New Jersey driver's licenses or other IDs were improperly registered to vote in 2023-2024.
- Sherrill again said a preliminary analysis shows that fewer than 400 of those erroneously registered individuals actually cast ballots.
- The CBS report situates the New Jersey error explicitly against President Trump's and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's claim that more than 250,000 noncitizens are registered across four states, and notes that the administration’s estimate is based on commercial databases.
- Election-law expert David Becker, of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, is quoted warning that the White House methodology is likely to produce many false positives and could lead to states breaking the law if they use it to purge rolls.
- The article restates that Sherrill is removing 2023-24 erroneous registrations, replacing the Motor Vehicle Commission system vendor, and launching an investigation into how the software error occurred.