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New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has refused a request from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over a list of approximately 6,600 non-citizens who were mistakenly registered to vote. In a letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, Sherrill argued that providing such information would violate federal laws, including the Privacy Act and the Driver's Privacy Protection Act, as well as state privacy laws.
The DOJ's request included names, addresses, and countries of origin of those erroneously registered between June 2023 and June 2024. Sherrill stated that New Jersey's Division of Elections is working to correct the error, which she attributed to a "software glitch" by Idemia, a technology company. The glitch occurred during the administration of then-Governor Phil Murphy. Idemia has disputed these claims, stating it followed the specifications provided by the Murphy administration.
The DOJ is seeking the voter information as part of an investigation into whether New Jersey complied with laws requiring accurate voter rolls. According to New Jersey Globe, the DOJ argues that the registration error strengthens its case for access to the voter lists. However, Sherrill has emphasized her commitment to protecting the privacy of New Jersey residents.
A federal judge recently dismissed a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking similar voter data, ruling that New Jersey is not required to provide its digital voter registration system to the federal government. The judge's decision aligns with previous rulings from other district courts that have rejected similar requests. Sherrill has accused the federal government of using the voter registration issue to push for voter restrictions ahead of the midterm elections.
The state has begun removing about 4,500 erroneously registered individuals and is reviewing another 2,100 to ensure no lawful voters are disenfranchised. The DOJ maintains that the state's objections lack merit and that the newly disclosed registrations bolster its case for obtaining the unredacted voter data.