RNC Challenges New Jersey Over Voter Roll Errors Involving Noncitizens
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is intensifying its conflict with New Jersey election officials regarding voter roll records. The RNC has threatened legal action to obtain details about noncitizens listed on the state’s voter rolls.
On Wednesday, formal violation notices under the National Voter Registration Act were sent by the RNC to New Jersey’s secretary of state and election officials in several counties, including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union.
The notices demand access to records concerning the removal of noncitizens, citizenship verification processes, and other voter roll maintenance activities. The RNC has given officials until September 15 to provide these records or risk facing legal proceedings.
“Democrat Governor Mikie Sherrill admitted what the RNC already uncovered through public records requests: noncitizens are on New Jersey’s voter rolls,” said RNC Chairman Joe Gruters. “Now, election officials are refusing to turn over records explaining how it happened.”
Gruters emphasized the need for transparency, stating, “Voters deserve answers, and the RNC is putting officials on notice: comply with the law, hand over the records, or face legal action.”
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill disclosed that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were recorded on the voter rolls due to a technical malfunction in the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) system. It is reported that around 400 of these individuals voted.
The RNC claims that 134 noncitizens were removed from New Jersey voter rolls in Bergen County between January 2023 and August 2026. The committee attributes 91 of these registrations to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).
Sherrill’s administration revealed a software error at the MVC improperly registered nearly 6,600 people to vote between June 2023 and June 2024 before she became governor. Of these, approximately 5,100 were removed after discovering no separate registration or attestation of eligibility. Around 1,450 registrations were changed to a rejected status pending further review by county officials.
Additionally, the state noted that about 340 people, newly registered due to the error, voted. Furthermore, it identified roughly 220 individuals who voted but had previous registrations or attestations suggesting valid registration.
Governor Sherrill mentioned instructing county officials to resolve remaining cases in anticipation of the November election.
Sherrill has criticized initiatives by the Trump administration as attempts to increase federal control over state voter rolls. She opposed federal efforts to access nonpublic voter information, describing it as a “phishing expedition.”
The investigation by Sherrill’s office into the MVC error is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the RNC, New Jersey secretary of state’s office, and Sherrill’s office did not provide comments when approached by Fox News Digital.
Brittany Miller contributed to the report. She is a Fox News Digital breaking news writer and former Independent reporter from Syracuse University.