Vice President J.D. Vance urged New Jersey’s Democratic senators to support the SAVE America Act after Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) revealed that a “software error” had resulted in thousands of non-citizens being registered to vote in the state.
The alarming disclosure came via a post on X, highlighting that flaws in New Jersey’s motor vehicle system led to about 6,600 individuals who identified as non-citizens being registered between June 2023 and June 2024 during the tenure of former Governor Phil Murphy (D).
“These individuals were asked whether they were U.S. citizens while applying for driver’s licenses or ID cards, and they answered ‘no,’ but the system mistakenly enrolled them,” Sherrill explained.
A preliminary review by Sherrill’s administration discovered that only “fewer than 400” of those incorrectly registered actually voted. The governor indicated that she called for an investigation right away and directed that those improperly registered between June 2023 and June 2024 should be removed from voter rolls.
She also mentioned that steps are underway to find a new vendor to manage the voter registration system, which she claimed is “responsible” for the errors.
In the wake of this revelation, which received mixed reactions from conservatives online, Vice President Vance took the opportunity to call on New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim to support the Election Integrity Act. “If only there was a way to prevent these types of ‘software errors’ that allow non-citizens to vote in elections,” he remarked on X. “We hope that Sens. @CoryBooker and @SenatorAndyKim will join us in voting to pass the SAVE America Act to ensure that only eligible American voters participate in New Jersey elections and elections nationwide.”
This announcement came just five days after President Donald Trump had highlighted voter fraud issues, referencing a report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that estimated up to 35,152 non-citizens could be registered in New Jersey alone.
The DHS research also suggested that the number of non-citizens registered might reach 190,832 in California, with numbers in Nevada and Pennsylvania being 15,903 and 14,576 respectively.
While Trump maintained that New Jersey allowed non-citizens to vote, Sherrill took aim at the president in her statement, asserting, “I guarantee you that we will protect the election as the Trump administration seeks to weaponize it for political gain. Donald Trump lacks any credibility regarding election integrity.”
In response to Sherrill’s announcement, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that the incident underscores the urgent need for the SAVE America Act, insisting on the importance of securing voters’ confidence in the election process.
Jackson also pointed to repeated assertions from the Democratic Party and its supporters claiming that it is impossible for non-citizens to register or vote, arguing those claims have been disproven numerous times. “As President Trump has stated, nothing is more important than the integrity of our elections,” she added.
New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, also a Democrat, previously denied a request from the Trump administration for the state’s full, unredacted voter file. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated a lawsuit, which was dismissed in February but remains in progress.
Neither Senators Booker nor Kim have made public comments regarding Vance’s appeals.
