U.S. New Jersey Governor, Mikie Sherrill, on Tuesday, said the state mistakenly registered 6,600 non-citizen residents on the state voter rolls, resulting in the voting of over 400 individuals.

The governor attributed the error to a software glitch in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission.

Ms Sherrill, during a news conference, said she learnt about the defect last week and ordered her chief counsel to commence an investigation into the matter.

The governor said the “serious software error” was found in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission, adding that non-citizen residents were wrongly registered between June 2023 and June 2024 during application for driver’s licences and identification cards.

The governor, who described the discovery as “unacceptable,” faulted the administration of former Governor Phil Murphy for not taking prompt action over the incident.

“I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter. I am appalled by the reckless failures that allowed this to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time,” Ms Sherrill said.

“This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now. I am taking action to prevent anything like it from occurring in the future and make sure those responsible are held accountable,” she added.

A statement by the White House said the error was a direct result of the state’s failure to conduct basic citizenship checks, noting that the mistake was a proof of why the U.S. Congress must pass the SAVE America Act.

It stated, “This is the direct result of Democrat policies that refuse basic citizenship checks and exactly why Congress must pass the SAVE America Act immediately.

“The bill requires states to use the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system to confirm citizenship before registering anyone to vote in federal elections, a safeguard New Jersey has refused to implement.

“Every illegal ballot dilutes the voice of a lawful American citizen and undermines election integrity. These incidents are not random errors; they are the predictable result of Democrat policies that refuse to verify citizenship.”