Donald Trump and his allies have seized on a recent announcement from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill that 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote due to a software error, with fewer than 400 of them having voted. This disclosure has been used to escalate claims of widespread noncitizen voter registrations on the rolls.

Trump's focus on this issue comes days after he claimed in a primetime speech that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had identified 278,000 noncitizens on voter rolls in New Jersey and three other states. However, a review by the Guardian of letters DHS sent to states indicates the agency expressed less certainty about these numbers and did not explain its methodology.

Experts have criticized the DHS data as being "designed to create a false argument," highlighting concerns over the accuracy and interpretation of the figures. Republicans have latched onto the New Jersey announcement following Trump's speech, using it to bolster misleading claims of election fraud.

The contrasting figures—6,600 noncitizens registered due to a software error versus the 278,000 noncitizens claimed by Trump—underscore ongoing disputes over the extent of noncitizen voter registration and participation.

Sources