New Jersey Governor Sherrill Rejects DOJ Request for Noncitizen Voter Data Amid Legal Clash

noncitizen voter registration DOJ data request software error legal dismissal voter roll cleanup

A software error at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission between June 2023 and June 2024 mistakenly registered about 6,600 non‑citizens to vote, of whom roughly 400 cast ballots. Governor Mikie Sherrill announced that the state will not provide the Department of Justice with the individuals’ names, birth dates, addresses or other personal details, saying the request “had no legal basis” and violates state and federal privacy laws. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon replied that the DOJ will pursue the records “through all legal means.”

The federal lawsuit filed by the DOJ seeking the entire New Jersey voter‑registration database was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi, who ruled the agency lacks authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Division of Elections has begun removing about 4,500 of the erroneous registrations and has referred roughly 2,100 remaining cases to county officials for further review. The governor emphasized protecting New Jerseyans’ personally identifiable information while ensuring eligible voters are not disenfranchised.

Entities

Harmeet Dhillon · Mikie Sherrill · New Jersey Division of Elections · New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission · State of New Jersey · U.S. Department of Justice · Zahid Quraishi

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The state launched a public FAQ website to provide information about the registration review process. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com
[● 3 SOURCES] A software error at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission mistakenly registered about 6,600 noncitizens to vote between June 2023 and June 2024. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Around 2,100 registrations will remain under county review because some may belong to citizens. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Governor Sherrill contrasted the state's response with criticism of former President Donald Trump and Republican opponents. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The state aims to protect voting rights of eligible citizens while removing ineligible registrations. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The Division of Elections will remove 4,500 of the improperly registered noncitizen voter entries. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The MVC mailed letters to all individuals affected by the software error. wpgtalkradio.com · parsippanyfocus.com