Sherrill open to more election security as twists emerge in NJ voter rolls scandal

⚠️ Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she'd support voter ID laws if New Jersey lawmakers approve them.

➡️ A bill introduced before the voter registration scandal would stop noncitizens from receiving MVC voter prompts.

🔴 Sherrill still opposes the federal SAVE Act, calling it a tool of voter suppression.

In a new interview, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she's open to voter ID laws to increase election security but doesn't want it done President Donald Trump's way.

The Democratic governor made the comments Wednesday evening on News 12 New Jersey's "Ask Governor Sherrill" program. She responded to a question asking if she would support voter ID laws.

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"Certainly, if that was the law passed here, I would support that. I don't have a problem with voter ID," Sherrill said.

Sherrill isn't the only Democrat to leave the door open to voter ID requirements. In Congress, Democrats have sent mixed signals about what they would support when it comes to requiring identification to vote. In March, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he could support voter ID.

“You’d have to define it clearly and properly and easily," Schumer said, without elaborating.

Many Democrats have said that requiring identification at the polls could disenfranchise voters, particularly those who have less money and education. Some have opposed photo ID requirements, proposing instead to use debit cards, lease or mortgage documents, and utility bills to fulfill voter ID requirements.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill at Union Baptist Church in Trenton on July 28, 2026. (Office of Governor/Tim Larsen)

New Jersey's voter registration scandal fuels election security debate

In New Jersey, the renewed focus on election security follows an earth-shattering revelation that at least 4,500 noncitizens were registered to vote. State Division of Elections workers have sent the names of another 2,100 individuals to county election officials to ensure any lawfully registered voters are not disenfranchised.

Sherrill said it was due to a "software error" at the Motor Vehicle Commission. The software vendor, IDEMIA, disputed the governor and said there was no error, claiming the system functioned as intended and was approved by the MVC.

“All 6,600 individuals indicated ‘Yes’ to wanting to register to vote and ‘No’ to being a U.S. citizen,” IDEMIA Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Relations Lisa Shoemaker said in a statement to POLITICO.

MVC reform bill was introduced before scandal became public

Meanwhile, one bill in Trenton could address the specific problem that IDEMIA claims led to New Jersey's voter registration scandal. It was quietly introduced in May, weeks before Sherrill first made the issue public on July 21.

According to its synopsis, the bill (S4132) "clarifies MVC voter registration prompts for certain persons."

Politico first reported on the shockingly relevant bill, which quickly moved out of the Senate State Government Committee after being introduced in May. However, it's sat untouched since May 21.

“I would just say that this is kind of a cleanup with the motor vehicle bill and leave it at that,” state Sen. James Beach, D-Camden, said before the bill passed unanimously. State Sen. Kristen Corrado, R-Passaic, is a fellow primary sponsor.

Corrado and state Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, recently said they would sponsor a separate bill to increase election security. It would eliminate automatic voter registration at the MVC, implement voter ID requirements, and mandate regular and independent audits of voter rolls.

READ MORE: NJ offers $20M legal fund after voter registration error

Scott Olson, Getty Images

Sherrill distinguishes between voter ID and the SAVE Act

Sherrill, however, argued that fixing New Jersey's registration system is different from the broader federal election proposals backed by President Trump.

During the "Ask Governor Sherrill" program, Sherrill said that voter ID laws shouldn't be conflated with the SAVE Act. She said the SAVE Act is "just a tool of voter suppression," as it goes beyond simply requiring voters to show identification.

According to the White House, the SAVE Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote for federal elections, require voter identification for federal voting and restrict most mail voting.

It would also require states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls, and give Homeland Security access to state voter rolls. Vice President JD Vance pointed to those provisions when New Jersey's voter registration scandal made national headlines. He said the SAVE Act would have prevented 6,600 noncitizens from being wrongfully registered to vote.

"If only there was a way to stop this type of 'software error' that allowed non citizens to vote in our elections," Vance said on X.

In February, the U.S. Department of Justice sued New Jersey for full access to the voter rolls. On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled the DOJ lacked the legal authority to force New Jersey to hand over its computerized statewide voter registration list.

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