DOJ Urges New Jersey to Give Data on 6,600 Noncitizens Mistakenly Registered to Vote

Roughly 400 of these noncitizens were found to have cast votes.

A voting site during the primary election in Cape May, N.J., on June 4, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Justice Department (DOJ) on July 21 asked New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill to provide information on roughly 6,600 noncitizens who were mistakenly registered to vote because of a software error.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon made the request in a letter after the governor announced that a software error in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission system had resulted in the noncitizens being registered to vote in the state between June 2023 and June 2024.

Sherrill said the individuals had indicated that they were not U.S. citizens. Roughly 400 of them had cast votes.

In the letter, Dhillon said the DOJ is investigating the matter and asked the state to provide the full names, dates of birth, nationalities, residential addresses, and registration dates and locations of those who were improperly registered.

The DOJ also sought information on where and when the 400 people had previously voted. The state is required to provide the information within five business days, according to the letter.

“Ensuring that U.S. citizens’ votes are not illegally diluted by noncitizens’ votes is of paramount importance,” Dhillon said in the letter.

Dhillon also said the department would inform the district court of its lawsuit against New Jersey about the disclosure, saying that it provides an additional basis for its request to obtain an electronic copy of the state’s voter data.

New Jersey was among five states sued by the DOJ in February for failing to provide statewide voting records the department said were necessary to prevent the inclusion of ineligible voters.

Sherrill, who took office in January, said on July 21 that the error occurred under the former administration. The governor said that she has directed her chief counsel to investigate what happened and ordered election officials to remove any residents who were erroneously added to the voter rolls during that period.

“This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now,” she said in a statement. “I am taking action to prevent anything like it from occurring in the future and make sure those responsible are held accountable.”

The White House told The Epoch Times by email on July 21 that the system error in New Jersey highlights the need to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which Republicans say is necessary to ensure election integrity.

“Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an emailed statement. “Time and again, they have been proven wrong.”

The DOJ sent letters to election officials nationwide earlier this month, warning them that they could be subject to criminal liability if they let noncitizens receive ballots or vote in elections.

Tom Gantert contributed to this report.