Republicans Shift Focus to Noncitizen Voting: Here’s Why

House Republicans are making a bold move to crack down on voting by noncitizens, sparking controversy and debate over the integrity of elections in the United States. The proposed legislation aims to roll back laws allowing noncitizen residents in Washington, D.C., to vote in local elections and require states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering voters.

Despite the unlikelihood of these bills passing in the Democratic-led Senate or being signed by President Biden, Republicans are using them to draw attention to their claims of widespread illegal voting by noncitizens. Former President Donald J. Trump has long perpetuated the idea that elections are vulnerable to voter fraud by undocumented immigrants, a narrative that House Republicans are echoing.

In reality, noncitizens rarely vote in local elections, and it is illegal for them to vote in federal elections. Studies have shown that instances of noncitizen voting are extremely rare, with only a handful of cases identified in millions of votes cast. The stringent verification processes put in place by states have been effective in ensuring that only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections.

Despite the facts, Republicans and election deniers continue to cite faulty figures to support their claims of widespread illegal voting by noncitizens. Experts have debunked these claims, highlighting the lack of scientific evidence behind the statistics often used to perpetuate this false narrative.

As the debate rages on, the issue of noncitizen voting remains a contentious topic, with both sides presenting their arguments on the impact and extent of illegal voting by foreign nationals.