Federal law says it’s illegal for a non-citizen to vote in federal elections, but as of today, federal voting forms don’t require individuals to show proof of U.S. citizenship.
“Welfare offices and other agencies in 49 US states are providing voter registration forms to migrants without requiring proof of citizenship,” says Josh Christenson from the New York Post.
Conservative groups are sounding the alarms pointing out the Biden administration has allowed millions of illegals into the U.S. with humanitarian parole, refugee or asylum status. These same immigrants are eligible for benefits that would bring them to government offices where voter registration is solicited.
Christenson then says these immigrants are given applications for welfare benefits, driver’s licenses, and in some cases, mail-in ballots voter registration forms without demanding proof of citizenship.
“It is undeniable that the current structure makes it possible for illegal immigrants and non-citizens to vote and the American people have no way of knowing how widespread the problem may be,” said Ryan Walker, executive vice president at Heritage Action.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed into law the National Voter Registration Act, also known as Motor Voter.
It mandates the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and other agencies, where individuals who apply for public benefits or a driver’s license, are allowed to register to vote.
“It’s a real problem, not an imaginary problem,” says Hans von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation.
Spakovsky says federal prosecutions, audits and state investigations have found over the years that thousands of non-citizens are being registered.
Research from Christenson at the New York Post says hundreds of non-Americans have since been caught after casting ballots in races ranging from the local to the presidential, and subsequently purged from voter rolls.
Any change to the current system is being fought by liberal groups like the Campaign Legal Center who oppose any reform from Republicans.
In swing battleground state Georgia, the Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is being sued for supporting citizenship verification methods.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says around 19 states including Washington, DC, have allowed non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses.
The GOP says their new legislative proposal, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, would force states to show proof of citizenship when a person fills out a form to vote, either by mail, at a DMV or a welfare office.
The GOP also support Americans to sue election officials who don’t implement rules that demand proof-of-citizenship documents.
