Statement by Governor Mikie Sherrill

“I promised New Jerseyans that my administration would confront the issue with accountability and urgency. Today, I want to provide an update on the progress we’ve made.

“Over the last seven days, we've moved aggressively on multiple fronts — reaching out directly to those affected and beginning the process of correcting the voter rolls.

“MVC has mailed letters to the individuals who were impacted by this software error. To supplement those notifications, we've launched a website with answers to frequently asked questions, information about the voter registration review process, and support resources. That website is: nj.gov/MVCsystemerror2023.

“At the same time, the Division of Elections has begun a process to remove more than 4,500 individuals who were registered solely through this software error. The remaining registrations will be referred to county election officials for additional review to ensure that any lawfully registered voters are not being disenfranchised.

“We are taking this extra step because our initial review indicates that a number of these individuals may be citizens. That has been the case in other states where clerical and administrative voter registration errors have occurred, and we're determined to get this right.

“Just as we have an obligation to remove everyone who is not eligible to vote, we also have a responsibility to protect the voting rights of eligible New Jersey citizens and ensure no one is improperly removed from the rolls. And we are going to do just that.

“As I said last week, this is what accountable government looks like. We inherited a problem. We didn't hide it. We didn't deny it. We're investigating it. And we’re going to fix it, the right way.

“That approach stands in stark contrast to how MAGA Republicans have responded to this issue. From the moment I made this public and launched the investigation, Donald Trump and his followers have moved to weaponize the issue to advance their voter suppression schemes. And they are trying to target the individuals affected, who were registered through no fault of their own. I won’t let them do either.

“New Jerseyans should have confidence that every eligible citizen can vote, every lawful vote will be counted, and their government will act quickly and transparently when problems arise. That's my responsibility as Governor, and we'll continue providing public updates while this investigation moves forward.”