In recent years, President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that non-citizen voting is a widespread issue in U.S. elections. However, numerous studies and research have proven that this is simply not the case. In fact, non-citizen voting is extremely rare and has not had any significant impact on the outcome of U.S. elections.
Despite the lack of evidence, President Trump has continued to push this narrative, even going as far as creating a commission to investigate voter fraud. However, the commission was disbanded after failing to find any evidence of widespread voter fraud, let alone non-citizen voting.
So why does President Trump continue to insist on this issue? Some believe it is a tactic to undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process and discredit any election results that do not go in his favor. Others argue that it is a way to push for stricter voter ID laws, which could potentially suppress minority and low-income voters.
But let’s look at the facts. According to a study by the Brennan Center for Justice, non-citizen voting accounts for less than 0.001% of all votes cast in the United States. In other words, it is an incredibly rare occurrence. Another study by the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that out of the 23.5 million votes cast in the 2016 election, only 30 cases of potential non-citizen voting were identified. That’s a minuscule 0.0001% of all votes cast.
Furthermore, the GAO study also found that the majority of these cases were due to misunderstandings or errors, not intentional fraud. In many cases, non-citizens were simply confused about their eligibility to vote and were not trying to deceive the system. This is not to say that there are no cases of intentional non-citizen voting, but the numbers are so insignificant that they do not have any significant impact on the outcome of elections.
So why do some people believe that non-citizen voting is a widespread issue? One reason could be the misconceptions surrounding voter registration. In some states, non-citizens are allowed to obtain driver’s licenses or state IDs, which can also be used for voter registration. However, this does not automatically mean that non-citizens are voting. In fact, many states have systems in place to prevent non-citizens from being registered to vote, such as cross-checking with databases from the Department of Homeland Security.
Another reason for the belief in widespread non-citizen voting could be the lack of understanding of the naturalization process. Becoming a U.S. citizen is a lengthy and rigorous process that requires years of residency, background checks, and passing a citizenship test. The idea that non-citizens would risk their immigration status and potential deportation by illegally voting is simply unfounded.
It is also important to note that non-citizen voting is not a partisan issue. Studies have shown that the small number of non-citizens who do vote do not favor one political party over the other. In fact, the Brennan Center study found that the majority of non-citizens who voted in the 2016 election did not vote at all, and those who did were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
In conclusion, the idea of widespread non-citizen voting in U.S. elections is simply not supported by evidence. It is a rare occurrence and does not have any significant impact on election outcomes. Instead of focusing on this baseless claim, we should be working towards ensuring fair and accessible elections for all eligible voters. Let’s move away from divisive rhetoric and focus on facts and solutions that benefit our democracy.
