Conservative commentator Michael Smerconish said he could no longer assert that noncitizen voting never occurs after New Jersey discovered a software error that registered thousands of noncitizens and allowed some to vote.
The error registered roughly 6,600 noncitizens, and fewer than 400 ballots were cast by those individuals. Smerconish had previously dismissed the possibility of noncitizen voting based on an analysis that found no widespread fraud, though it noted occasional noncitizen appearances on voter rolls.
Political analyst Mark Halperin agreed that the New Jersey disclosure undermines categorical claims about noncitizen voting and cautioned that more data is needed to assess its scope.
The revelation came shortly after a presidential address that raised concerns about election integrity and alleged similar issues in other states.
Investigations into other states potentially affected by voter registration errors are anticipated.
