Washington: The issue of illegal immigrants is gaining momentum ahead of the US presidential election on November 5. Republican candidate Donald Trump and his allies are constantly claiming that the Democrats are planning to get the votes of illegal immigrants in the US election. Trump had said during the presidential debate with Kamala Harris, “Our elections are bad. Many immigrants are coming and they are trying to prepare them to vote.” Let us know whether illegal immigrants can actually vote in the US election and how dangerous is it?
It is illegal for anyone who is not a US citizen to vote in a national election. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 prohibits non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, from voting in federal elections, reports the BBC. Doing so carries a penalty of up to a year in prison, a fine and possibly deportation.
How is voter registration done?
Every state requires voters to fill out a common registration form that requires them to confirm they are US citizens. There are penalties for false claims and perjury, but no documentary proof is required. Many states cross-check voter lists with Citizenship and Immigration Services, death certificates and postal records to exclude those who are non-citizens, deceased or living out of state. Non-citizens are also not allowed to vote in state elections.
Do illegal immigrants vote?
Studies show that cases of illegal immigrants voting in federal elections are very low. A study by the Brennan Center for Justice interviewed 44 election officials who worked in 12 states during the 2016 election. It found that out of the 23.5 million votes counted in these states, 30 suspicious incidents of non-citizens voting were forwarded for investigation.
The Heritage Foundation investigated cases of election fraud between 1999 and 2023. During this period, 77 cases of non-citizens voting were found. These reports show that the number of non-citizens voting in elections is very low, but it is not zero. It is far from the level that affects the result of the election.
