Full Breakdown
New Jersey Voter-Registration Dispute: Governor Blames Software Glitch, Vendor Shifts Responsibility to State
7/23/2026, 3:04:35 AM
Core Event
Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill asserted that a software error in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s (MVC) voter-registration interface resulted in 6,660 non-citizens being entered into the state’s voter rolls, with as many as 400 allegedly casting ballots in a recent election. IDEMIA, the private company that provides the MVC’s registration software, issued a statement rejecting the claim and emphasizing that the state’s Division of Elections retains final authority to verify voter eligibility.
Background & Context
New Jersey uses an “opt-in” system that allows drivers and ID-card applicants to indicate interest in voter registration when they interact with the MVC. IDEMIA has supplied the underlying software for this process for more than four decades, transmitting applicant data to the Division of Elections, which is tasked with adjudicating eligibility. The governor’s allegation ties the alleged malfunction to the administration of former Governor Phil Murphy, also a Democrat.
Official Statements & Responses
Governor Sherrill described the malfunction as a “glitch” that automatically registered individuals who had answered “no” to the citizenship question on the MVC keypad, thereby allowing them to vote under various party affiliations.
Data & Statistics
- 6,660 non-citizen registrations alleged by the governor.
- Approximately 400 of those alleged registrants purportedly voted, according to the governor’s statement.
Verbatim Quotes
- “IDEMIA works with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and has for more than 40 years, to support the process through which eligible individuals may indicate their interest in registering to vote when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state-issued identification card. IDEMIA’s role is to transmit information through the motor vehicle system,” — IDEMIA
- “These individuals answered 'no' when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers' licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” — Sherrill