Brennan Center Responds to Myths about Noncitizens Voting in Federal Elections
Originally published by Brennan Center for Justice
At a press conference today, former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson promoted new legislation meant to solve what they claimed was a problem: noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following comment:
“American elections are free and fair. Today’s press conference was about a problem that doesn’t exist. First of all, noncitizens voting is against the law, and second, it happens incredibly rarely.
“Fortunately, these lies haven’t kept voters from casting ballots, not in 2020 or 2022. Americans can trust that our elections are secure in 2024.
“The bill mentioned today won’t make our elections any more secure. You should not be required to bring a birth certificate or passport to the government to keep your right to vote. That would purge millions of voters, citizens who have been voting their whole lives. Congress should instead pass legislation to protect the freedom to vote.”
Resources:
- “Noncitizens Are Not Voting in Federal or State Elections — Here’s Why” (April 2024)
- The Effects of Requiring Documentary Proof of Citizenship (July 2017)
- Noncitizen Voting: The Missing Millions (May 2017)
- “Analysis: Noncitizen Voting Is Vanishingly Rare” (January 2017)