The New Jersey Governor's explanation for how roughly 6,600 noncitizens ended up on the state's voter rolls is facing new scrutiny after the company she blamed pushed back, saying it merely transmitted the information while the state's own Division of Elections was responsible for determining voter eligibility.
According to recent reports, a "serious software error" with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle System led to the registration of almost 7,000 people "who indicated that they were not U.S. citizens" from June 2023 through June 2024. Governor Mikie had previously stated that the matter was under investigation and that "fewer than 400 individuals who were newly registered" voted.
Now, the Department of Justice has requested the full names, dates of birth, nationalities, residential addresses, and registration dates and locations of the 400 individuals who voted. They are seeking to know where and when the individuals voted and, if by mail, the certification and signature required under New Jersey law.
IDEMIA, the software vendor for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, has issued a statement blaming the New Jersey Division of Elections and the Department of State for the illegal non-citizen voters. The company says it did not register anyone to vote, and its system merely transmits application data collected by the Motor Vehicle Commission. The actual voter registration decision is made by New Jersey's Division of Elections after reviewing the information.
The Department of Justice has also informed the district court in United States v. Caldwell of the disclosure, a case in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey where the DOJ has requested unredacted voter registration lists. This is part of a larger effort to investigate similar cases throughout the United States and the District of Columbia.
The controversy surrounding the registration of non-citizens in New Jersey's voter rolls is likely to continue, with the Department of Justice taking a closer look at the state's election processes. The investigation is expected to uncover more information about how the registrations occurred and what steps were taken to prevent it.
