Sherrill says NJ removing thousands of noncitizens from voter rolls after MVC registration error
Governor says affected residents have been notified as the state implements a new voting rights law and declines a federal request for voter information.
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Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Tuesday that New Jersey has begun notifying people affected by the voter registration error that led to thousands of noncitizens being added to the state's voter rolls.
Sherrill said the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has mailed letters to those impacted by what she has described as an MVC software error.
The governor said that the Division of Elections is removing more than 4,500 noncitizens who were registered to vote through the error. The remaining 2,000 registrations will be referred to county election officials for additional review.
The governor also said about 400 noncitizens cast ballots.
IDEMIA, the technology company involved with the state's voter registration system, said in a statement:
"IDEMIA's role is to transmit information through the motor vehicle 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."
Amid heightened scrutiny of the state's election system, Sherrill on Tuesday signed the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, which is designed to strengthen voting rights in New Jersey.
The law establishes state pre-clearance requirements, prohibits vote dilution, bans voter intimidation and deception, increases legal enforcement, expands language assistance and creates a public statewide election database.
"We know that so many attacks on voting rights end up in court. So this law directs our courts to put the interest of the voters first. When the laws are up for interpretation, the courts will prioritize your rights, to register, to vote and to have that vote count," Sherrill said Tuesday.
Following last week's disclosure of the voter registration issue, the U.S. Department of Justice has called on the governor to turn over voter information. Sherrill said she will not comply.
