Republican Lawmakers Press New Jersey Governor on 6,600 Noncitizens Registered to Vote

A group of 19 House Republicans has called on New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill to provide a detailed accounting of how approximately 6,600 individuals who identified as noncitizens were added to voter rolls and subsequently cast 400 ballots. The letter, released Friday, seeks clarity on what state officials attributed to a technical malfunction in the voter registration system.

The GOP members characterized the incident as far more serious than a routine administrative error, describing it as “a catastrophic breakdown of the most basic safeguard in our election system.” They questioned whether the state could definitively rule out intentional misconduct and emphasized that the registration lapse occurred between June 2023 and June 2024. The signatories included Reps. Jefferson Van Drew and Chris Smith, two of New Jersey’s three Republican congressmen, though Rep. Tom Kean Jr. declined to sign on.

Gov. Sherrill disclosed the registration problem on Tuesday, explaining that the Motor Vehicle System had improperly processed individuals who answered “no” to citizenship questions on driver’s license applications. She noted the error predated her tenure in office by nearly three years and stated those affected bore no responsibility for the mishap.

The Republicans requested answers to specific questions regarding the state’s voter roll maintenance procedures, which counties recorded the improper ballots, and whether the administration would back voter identification legislation. The group has set an Aug. 21, 2026 deadline for responses, citing ongoing concerns about weaknesses in voter registration safeguards nationwide.