NJ Gov Sherrill Says Trump Has 'Zero Credibility' as State Admits 6,600 Noncitizens Wrongly Registered To Vote

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill acknowledged on Tuesday that a state software error wrongly added about 6,600 noncitizens to the voter rolls, while insisting Donald Trump has 'zero credibility' on election integrity as national scrutiny of noncitizen voting intensifies.

Speaking in Trenton, the Democratic governor told reporters that fewer than 400 of those individuals had actually cast ballots since 2023. She attributed the registrations to a faulty vendor system at the Motor Vehicles Commission, a problem she said surfaced under the previous administration and went unresolved for a year.

The disclosure comes amid a national Republican push to tighten rules on noncitizen voting. The federal Department of Homeland Security claimed last week that it had identified an estimated 35,000 undocumented immigrants on New Jersey voting rolls.

Sherrill rejected the federal intervention and accused the former president of promoting conspiracy theories over many years. She said Trump regularly warns of widespread fraud without providing proof, and dismissed his recent focus on New Jersey.

Software Glitch at Motor Vehicles Commission Blamed

State officials said the administrative failure occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, before Sherrill took office. When applying for driving licences or identification cards, individuals who answered 'no' on a keypad when asked if they were American citizens were still registered by the automated system built by vendor Idemia.

Sherrill called the situation unacceptable and directed criticism at former governor Phil Murphy. She said she was dismayed that a vendor released software with such a serious defect and that the previous leadership did not ensure the problem was resolved when it first emerged.

Republicans Seize on Error To Push ID and Roll Checks

The announcement was quickly taken up by Republican lawmakers who have raised concerns over election security. The White House rapid response account argued the incident supports a pending congressional bill that would require states to submit voter rolls for federal citizenship verification.

New Jersey Republican chair Christine Hanlon called for the entire state voter file to be reviewed, saying the disclosed figures may not reflect the full scale of the issue.

She also urged the Sherrill administration to release the locations where the fewer than 400 erroneous votes were cast, noting that municipal races can be decided by small margins.

Assembly minority leader John DiMaio used the admission to argue for stricter voter identification rules. He said citizens should have confidence in the voting process and accused Trenton Democrats of not addressing known weaknesses in the electoral system.

State Rules Out Prosecutions and Plans Vendor Switch

Despite political pressure, the current administration has said it will not prosecute the individuals who cast ballots in error. Sherrill said it would be wrong for the state to penalise residents for a government mistake.

She added that her administration is preparing legal strategies to protect those voters from possible federal prosecution under Trump.

New Jersey officials are phasing out Idemia and plan to move to a new provider next year. Sherrill said the findings of the ongoing investigation will be released.

Lieutenant governor Dale Caldwell said local election officials are working to ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots in future elections.