Quick Bytes
- Noncitizen voting in the U.S. is extremely rare, with less than 70 proven cases in 40 years.
- The Heritage Foundation’s database shows noncitizen voting incidents are below 0.0001% of votes.
- Most noncitizen voting cases involve lawful permanent residents misled by government officials.
Debunking the Myths of Noncitizen Voting in the U.S.
Recent political discussions have spotlighted the issue of noncitizen voting in the United States, with some politicians advocating for stricter voter ID laws. Despite claims of widespread voter fraud, evidence suggests that such incidents are exceedingly rare.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative group, has been at the forefront of the voter fraud debate, even passing legislation to enforce photo ID for voter registration. Their own database, however, reveals only 68 cases of noncitizen voting since the 1980s, a minuscule fraction compared to the billions of votes cast during that time. This data aligns with other studies, such as a 2017 Brennan Center analysis, which found noncitizen voting to be virtually nonexistent.
Further scrutiny of the Heritage Foundation’s data indicates that most noncitizen voting cases involve green card holders who were incorrectly informed about their eligibility to vote, often by government officials themselves. For instance, after the 2016 election, an audit in North Carolina led to charges against 19 individuals, most of whom were lawful permanent residents who did not intend to break the law.
The takeaway from this data is clear: noncitizen voting is not a significant issue, and the few cases that do occur are largely due to misinformation. Instead of overhauling the electoral system, a more effective approach would be to improve training for government workers to prevent such errors. This would ensure that the integrity of the electoral process is maintained without imposing unnecessary and costly restrictions.
