Vendor says NJ only has itself to blame for 6,600 noncitizens on voter rolls

 🔴IDEMIA says New Jersey, not the vendor, was responsible for verifying voter eligibility.

➡️ Gov. Mikie Sherrill blamed a software error that registered 6,600 noncitizens to vote.

🔴 Republicans and the White House are using the announcement to demand election reforms.

Tech vendor IDEMIA says New Jersey only has itself to blame after the state announced that noncitizens were on the voter rolls.

In Tuesday's shock announcement, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that a software glitch allowed 6,600 noncitizens to register to vote. The ineligible voters had applied for driver's licenses through the Motor Vehicle Commission, which then registered them to vote, Sherrill said.

“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 said.

Sherrill blamed tech vendor IDEMIA, which supplied the software with the error. State officials also said New Jersey would replace IDEMIA with a different vendor, Telos.

MVC Acting Chair Rosalie Johnson says New Jersey will replace IDEMIA as its tech vendor. (Governor's Office/Tim Larsen)

IDEMIA says state was responsible for verifying voters

IDEMIA is biting back. The France-based company said its role was limited to transmitting information through the MVC's voter registration system.

"The voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote. Information submitted by IDEMIA must still be validated and adjudicated by the Division of Elections," IDEMIA said.

The tech vendor didn't explain how the software error happened.

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According to Sherrill, the error occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, years before she took office. The governor also said officials in former Gov. Phil Murphy's administration knew about the issue but did not disclose it publicly.

The governor's office has not publicly identified any individuals who may have known about the software error and said nothing to the public. Sherrill said the state has hired CSG Law to conduct a third-party investigation.

"Should there be anyone that is identified, that is still working in this space, that has not done the right thing — I will hold them personally accountable," Sherrill said. 

Gov. Mikie Sherrill in the media room of the statehouse in Trenton on July 21, 2026. (Office of Governor/Tim Larsen)

Federal Republicans call for election changes

The demands for accountability have reached the federal level, including the White House.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. 2nd District, said he wants to know how it happened and who was responsible. He also renewed his call for New Jersey to end automatic voter registration through the MVC.

"We have had extremely close elections in New Jersey, and God knows how many other ineligible voters may still be on the rolls or how many ballots have been cast without ever being identified," Van Drew said.

U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., R-N.J. 7th District, said the findings were unacceptable.

"First, we should push for unanimous acknowledgement that only American citizens should vote in American elections. Those who actively choose to not protect our democracy must be held accountable," Kean said.

READ MORE: NJ voter roll glitch fuels new calls for investigation

The Trump administration used the announcement to push for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which would mandate voter ID for federal elections.

"Every illegal ballot dilutes the voice of a lawful American citizen and undermines election integrity. These incidents are not random errors; they are the predictable result of Democrat policies that refuse to verify citizenship," the White House said in a statement.

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