Election officials in every state told to get help from Biden admin to stop noncitizens voting
Concerns have been raised about the integrity of voter rolls, prompting a conservative nonprofit, America First Legal (AFL), to take action by sending letters to the top election officials of all 50 states. These letters urged officials to request information from the Department of Homeland Security to verify the citizenship status of individuals registered to vote in order to prevent noncitizens from participating in federal elections.
AFL emphasized the importance of utilizing existing federal laws, specifically referencing statutes 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and 8 U.S.C. § 1644, which allow states to submit requests to DHS for information on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status for lawful purposes. The nonprofit highlighted the need for immediate action given the surge in illegal immigration since January 20, 2021.
Under federal law, foreign nationals are prohibited from voting in federal elections, making it crucial for states to conduct voter list maintenance to ensure only eligible individuals are registered. However, the federal voter registration form does not require applicants to provide documentary proof of citizenship, leading to potential vulnerabilities in the system.
America First Legal pointed out that the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program, which verifies the immigration status of foreign nationals, has limitations that hinder its effectiveness in preventing noncitizens from voting. The program requires specific identifiers that states and localities may not have when registering voters, rendering it insufficient for comprehensive verification.
As a proposed solution, AFL suggested that states request DHS to verify the citizenship or immigration status of registered voters on their rolls. By citing federal statutes 1373 and 1644, states can compel DHS to conduct searches based on available information like names and dates of birth to ensure that only U.S. citizens are included in voter rolls.
While legislative efforts such as the SAVE Act aim to enhance voter eligibility requirements, America First Legal emphasized the immediate steps that states can take to strengthen the integrity of their voting systems. The nonprofit’s president, Stephen Miller, underscored the urgency of addressing the threat posed by noncitizens participating in elections and highlighted the responsibility of states to safeguard the voting process.
States were urged to act swiftly and decisively to uphold the integrity of elections and protect the rights of American citizens to determine their representatives. By leveraging the tools provided by federal law and collaborating with DHS to verify voter eligibility, states can bolster the credibility and fairness of the electoral process.
