New Jersey's Voter Roll Nightmare Just Got Worse...400 Illegal Immigrants Voted

Summary

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Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: New Jersey's Voter Roll Nightmare Just Got Worse...400 Illegal Immigrants Voted
Date: July 25, 2026
Host: Ben Ferguson

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on recent revelations that over 6,600 non-citizens—referred to as "illegal immigrants" by the host—were mistakenly registered to vote in New Jersey due to a supposed software error, with nearly 400 allegedly casting ballots. Ben Ferguson critiques the Democratic governor’s response, explores the political implications, and discusses the ensuing dispute between state officials and the software vendor over who is to blame. Ferguson contextualizes these developments in terms of election integrity, political accountability, and ongoing partisan conflict as midterm elections near.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking News: Non-Citizen Voter Registration in New Jersey

• [02:36] Ferguson opens by addressing "a lot of lying going on about illegal immigrants voting," claiming, “the governor of New Jersey has had to admit that it actually happened...they helped register illegal immigrants who actually showed up and voted.”
• New Jersey’s Governor Cheryl publicly disclosed, via X (formerly Twitter), that about 6,600 non-citizens were registered from June 2023 to June 2024 due to a "serious software error."
• [03:06] Vice President J.D. Vance responds, calling on New Jersey's Democratic senators to pass the Save America Act, aiming to prevent such incidents.

2. Governor's Statement and Blame Allocation

• Ferguson reads from the Governor’s statement, highlighting her distancing from the problem:

  “Last week I learned that a serious software...in New Jersey’s motor vehicle system led to the registration of roughly 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens...” — (Paraphrased by Ferguson, [03:22])

• The governor insists this occurred under former Governor Phil Murphy (also a Democrat), not her administration.
• The governor claims, “these individuals answered no when asked on a keypad whether they were a US Citizen...the system then registered them anyway.”
• The governor reports "fewer than 400 individuals" actually voted as a result of the mishap.

3. Ferguson’s Analysis and Critique

• Ferguson accuses the governor of passing the buck, asking:

  “Why is it that you don't use that same exact logic when it comes to the illegal immigrants...breaking laws right now?” ([06:45])

• Points out that accountability is placed on the software company and previous administration, not on those who voted illegally or the sanctuary state policies.
• Ferguson identifies a recurring pattern:

  “Liberal Logic 101 on full display,” — ([10:53])
  noting the governor appears to protect undocumented immigrants while condemning procedural errors.

4. Governor’s Broader Comments on Election Integrity

• The Governor frames herself as serious about election integrity, stating:

  "I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter. As a military veteran who swore an oath to defend our Constitution and as a former federal prosecutor, I believe the integrity of our elections is fundamental..." ([07:54])

• She also criticizes former President Trump:

  “Donald Trump has zero credibility in the issue of election integrity. For more than 10 years, he's worked to undermine America's faith in our elections...” ([09:00])

• She positions her administration as transparent and responsible, in contrast to what she alleges from the Trump administration.

5. The Software Company's Response

• After the governor blames a “software error,” vendor IDEMIA pushes back, saying,

  “It was the responsibility of state government...to verify eligibility to vote... Information submitted by IDEMIA must still be validated and adjudicated by the Division of Elections.” ([13:02])

• Ferguson interprets this as clear “blame shifting” between the New Jersey government and its contractors, questioning overall election safeguard integrity.

6. Political Implications and Calls to Action

• J.D. Vance (Vice President) uses the incident to demand support for federal legislation—the Save America Act—to tighten voter eligibility rules ([13:43]).
• Ferguson expresses skepticism about Democratic officials’ willingness to genuinely address the issue, suggesting they minimize or deflect real accountability.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben Ferguson:

  “There is a lot of lying going on about illegal immigrants voting in our elections. And now...the governor of New Jersey has had to admit that it actually happened.” ([02:36])

• Governor Cheryl (via X, quoted by Ferguson):

  "Last week I learned that a serious software error...led to the registration of roughly 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens..." ([03:22])

• Ferguson:

  "Why is she not using that same logic...to the illegal immigrants that she's protecting and harboring in New Jersey?" ([10:47])

• Governor Cheryl (via X):

  “As the Trump administration tries...to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections. Let me be clear. Donald Trump has zero credibility in the issue of election integrity...” ([09:00])

• IDEMIA (software vendor):

  “The voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State...which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote.” ([13:15])

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Important Timestamps

• [02:36] – Ferguson introduces the scandal and political fallout
• [03:06] – Vice President Vance’s response and push for legislation
• [03:22] – Ferguson quotes the Governor's announcement
• [06:45] – Ferguson’s critique of the Governor’s accountability
• [07:54] – Governor’s remarks on election integrity and investigation
• [09:00] – Governor’s criticism of Trump and the Trump administration
• [10:47] – Ferguson challenges the state’s sanctuary and accountability policies
• [13:02] – Software vendor refutes blame for error
• [13:43] – Ferguson highlights White House and Vance using the incident for legislative advocacy

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Tone & Language

• Ferguson’s tone is critical, combative, and partisan, using phrases like “Liberal Logic 101” and questioning Democratic integrity.
• He frames the issue as symptomatic of broader election integrity concerns and suggests Democratic officials are deflecting responsibility.

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Takeaways

• The mishap in New Jersey is fueling national debate on voter rolls and election security.
• The state and its software vendor are engaged in public finger-pointing, leaving the root cause officially unresolved.
• The episode amplifies conservative calls for election reform legislation and greater scrutiny of policies affecting voter registration, especially in sanctuary states.

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Transcript

[Cancer Patient]

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[Ben Ferguson]

I'm Glenn Washington, host of Snap Judgment, the award winning storytelling podcast from kqed. Every week, Snap deals a new card. Like the girl whose sister was a monkey, the man who lived in the woods for 30 years, or the woman who snuck her lover out of prison in a dog crate. Pick a card, any card. Snap Judgment from kqed. New episodes every Thursday. Wherever you get your podcasts, the best

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[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

Good Saturday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update and we've got a very big show for you. There is a lot of lying going on about illegal immigrants voting in our elections. And now the governor of New Jersey has had to admit that it actually happened. And not only did it happen they helped register illegal immigrants who actually showed up and voted. So what happens now? We break it all down. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now.

Story number one.

Vice President J.D. vance is now responding to New Jersey Governor Cheryl's admission. Yes, they admitted it, the Democrats have admitted it, that thousands and thousands and thousands of non citizens, that means illegal immigrants were registered to vote in New Jersey. Now they're saying that this wasn't a result of fraud. They say it was simply a result of a quote, unquote software error. Now the vice president is calling on New Jersey's Democratic senators to vote for the Save America act, people, because then things like this couldn't happen. Now the governor of New Jersey announced the disturbing revelation quietly on X. Yes, just a little social media post explaining that a mistake in New Jersey's motor vehicle system, of course it was just a mistake, led to the registration of not 1000, not 2000, not 3, 4, not 5, but over 6600 illegal immigrants who were, as she put it, accidentally registered to vote between June of 2023 and June of 2024. Now, of course, this Democratic governor is passing the buck to a former Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, who was in office at the time. Now, if you wanna know how little they really care about this, here is the actual tweet from the governor. Quote, Last week I learned that a serious software. Now again, they call it a serious software error in New Jersey's motor vehicle system led to the registration of roughly 6,600 people who indicated that they were not U.S. citizens between June of 23 and June of 24, almost three years prior to my taking office. She went on to write this. These individuals answered no when asked on a keypad whether they were a US Citizen when applying for driver's licenses and identification cards. So in other words, hey, we broke in the country, but since you're going to give us a driver's license, we'll tell you the truth that we broke in the country because we know you're a sanctuary state and you're going to give us the driver's license. And she said, then, now this was through no fault of their own. Again, the illegal immigrant. The system then registered them anyway. The governor went on to say, now this happened under the previous administration and upon learning this information, I immediately ordered my chief counsel to launch an investigation to get to the bottom of what occurred. I also ordered the removal of any residents not from New Jersey, by the way, not from America, but quote, from our voter rolls and who were erroneously added between June of 23 and June of 24. Now, the new MVC administrator that I appointed has begun the process of replacing the vendor responsible for administering the system. So again, we're gonna fire the company, but we're not gonna get rid of the illegal immigrants. She goes on to say, our preliminary analysis showed that fewer than 400 individuals who were newly registered for the first time because of the error voted. So now she's admitting, oh, by the way, there was like 400 that we know of that actually did vote who were ineligible to vote, that were allowed to vote, that were illegal immigrants because we gave them the ability to vote when we were giving them a driver's license, knowing they were in the country illegally. Now, the Democratic governor wasn't done with the rhetoric at all. She went on to say other crazy things, and I'm going to tell you about that in just a moment. Before I get to that though, I want to talk about where we are as a country. It feels like our country finally has momentum with our leaders fighting to restore common sense and America first. But we've seen this before. Conservatives get comfortable and the left starts taking background inch by inch. And we just can't let that happen in these midterms. Now, America needs every one of us in the fight. And a big part of that means supporting companies that actually stand for our values instead of attacking them. And that's why I'm proud to partner with Patriot Mobile. Patriot Mobile gives you premium priority nationwide service on any of the three major US networks, so you get the coverage that you need. Plus unlimited data plans, mobile hotspots, international roaming, and a 100% US based customer support team. Now, switching has never been easier. Easier. You can keep your phone you have right now, you can keep the number you have, and you can activate in minutes with someone right here in the US Taking your call. Now, Patriot Mobile is so much more than a great wireless provider because what they've done is, well, truly incredible. They have built a growing movement of Americans that are defending faith, family and freedom and the future of this country. Because at no extra cost to you, they donate millions of dollars every year to organizations fighting for our freedoms. Now, I want you to try Patriot Mobile for a month for free. Go to patriotmobile.com ferguson that's patriotmobile.com ferguson or call them 972-patriot that's 972 patriot and if you use the promo code Ferguson, you'll get a free month of service. Patriotmobile.com ferguson or 972-patriot and make that switch today. Now, I want to get back to the governor of New Jersey. She went on to write on X quote, I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter. As a military veteran who swore note to defend our Constitution, and as a former federal prosecutor, I believe the integrity of our elections is fundamental to our democracy. 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. This failure didn't occur under my watch, but accountability starts now. I am taking action to prevent anything like this from occurring in the future and make sure those responsible are held accountable. Okay, so here's my question for the governor of New Jersey. Why is it that you don't use that same exact logic when it comes to the illegal immigrants that are in your state who are breaking laws right now? You notice she's holding the company accountable, not the illegal immigrants who voted in our elections illegally. Now, the other thing that she said is this. She says, as the Trump administration tries, and again, this shows you her true colors to weaponize elections for political gain. I am ensuring we protect our elections. Let me be clear. Donald Trump has zero credibility in the issue of election integrity. For more than 10 years, he's worked to undermine America's faith in our elections by spreading lies about legitimate election results, attempting to overturn a free and fair election and encouraging an attack on our Capitol when he couldn't accept the will of the voters, and defunding election security at the federal level. The difference is simple. The governor of New Jersey says, when we find a problem, we don't hide it, deny it, or invent conspiracies. We investigate it, we fix it, and we tell the public. That's what accountability and good governance looks like. And that's exactly what my administration is doing. Now, again, why is she not using that same logic, applying it to the illegal immigrants that she's protecting and harboring in New Jersey? She finally concluded by saying this. New Jerseyans should have confidence that every eligible citizen can vote, every lawful vote will be counted, and every reasonable step will be taken to protect the integrity of our elections. Then why are you a sanctuary state, Governor? That's my question. She also said, that's my responsibility, and it's one I will never stop fighting to uphold. Okay, I go back to the core of this. She attacks Trump. She attacks everything that this administration is trying to do to protect the votes of American citizens and then protects the illegal immigrants who are voting that she also says shouldn't be voting. So here it is, Liberal Logic 101 on full display. The good news is, at least when it comes to this story, is the White House is now using it and so is the Vice President to call out this egregious act. As J.D. vance said it, this way, if only there was a way to stop this type of quote unquote, software error that allowed non citizens to vote in our elections. I hope Senator Cory Booker and Senator Andy Kim will join us in voting to pass a Save America act to ensure that only eligible American voters can actually participate. What a novel idea, by the way, in our elections across the United States. Yes, the Vice President and the President reminding Americans right now why the Save act is so important, especially ahead of the midterms. Which brings me to another story. The software vendor in New Jersey is now disputing the Governor's quote, unquote glitch claim that she says the state approved foreigners on their voter rolls and many of them actually voted. Well now the New Jersey government and its vendor are in a public dispute that was supposed to catch an error that allowed thousands of non citizens to register to vote in New Jersey. It raised direct questions about the integrity of the safeguards that voters are told they can trust all over the country. Well, just hours after the New Jersey Governor blamed a software glitch for thousands of non citizens being registered to vote automatically, the software company that she threw under the bus has issued a statement disputing that claim. The software vendor for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission issuing a statement saying it was the responsibility of state government, which is completely controlled by the Democrats, to verify eligibility to vote. Idima, quote, worked with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and has for more than 40 years to support the process through which eligible individuals may indicate their interest to register to vote when applying for or renewing a driver's license or a state issued identification card. IDEMIA's role is to transmit information through the motor vehicle system. Idemia said this in a statement saying, quote, the voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State, then the Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote. Information submitted by Ademia must still be validated and adjudicated by the Division of Elections. Now the governor blamed the software company on Tuesday saying that there was a, quote, computer glitch that allowed 6,660 non citizens, meaning illegal immigrants, to register to vote. She also said that as many as 400 of those illegal immigrants had in fact voted in recent elections. She claimed that those who voted were quote, registered as Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters and were scattered across the state. It is unclear for which candidate the non citizens voted. She also said, and of course to cover the story here, right, they said, well, the individuals answered no when asked on a keypad whether they were a US Citizen when applying for driver's licenses and identification cards. But through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway. The governor continued. Now Cheryl also said the error occurred under the previous administration, again throwing her Democratic colleague, Governor Phil Murphy under the bus as well. So no accountability. Well, now the software company is saying, yeah, you're lying. It wasn't a software glitch at all. This was your fault and this was your problem. So now you have two different Democrats in office yet again lying to the voters apparently about their big plans. And when they're called out on it, well, we'll see how they respond. But one thing is for sure, they may promise you one thing, but they clearly are delivering something very different.

Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here on Monday morning.

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