Iowa and Georgia officials report noncitizens registered to vote

[Lauren]

IOWA AND GEORGIA OFFICIALS SAY DURING RECENT AUDITS THEY FOUND NON-CITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE.

IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK 87 NON-CITIZENS IN IOWA CASTED BALLOTS FOR PREVIOUS STATE ELECTIONS OUT OF 2.3 MILLION REGISTERED IOWA VOTERS.

PATE SAYS THOSE CASES HAVE BEEN TURNED OVER TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND IF FOUND GUILTY THOSE PEOPLE COULD FACE FELONY CHARGES.

PATE ALSO REPORTS 2,022 PEOPLE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THEMSELVES AS NON-U-S CITIZENS WERE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE STATE OF IOWA.

SECRETARY PATE SAID THE AUDIT IS ROUTINE BEFORE AN ELECTION AND A SPOKESPERSON FOR HIS OFFICE CLARIFIED THAT SOME OF THOSE NON-CITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WHILE RENEWING THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSES AND MAY HAVE SINCE BEEN NATURALIZED AS US CITIZENS AND ARE NOW LEGALLY ALLOWED TO VOTE.

IN GEORGIA, SECRETARY OF STATE BRAD RAFFENSPERGER REPORTED 20 NON-CITIZENS WERE REGISTERED TO VOTE, OUT OF 8.2 MILLION VOTERS.

RAFFENSBERGER SAID ALL 20 NON-CITIZENS WERE REMOVED FROM THE VOTER ROLLS AND THEIR CASES HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CHARGES. NONE OF THE NON-CITIZENS CAST BALLOTS FOR NOVEMBER’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, HOWEVER, RAFFENSBERGER SAID 9 OF THEM HAD PARTICIPATED IN EARLIER ELECTIONS

“LIST MAINTENANCE IS NOT A ONE TIME THING,” RAFFENSPERGER SAID DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY. “IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS WITH INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. WE NEED TO REMAIN CONSTANTLY VIGILANT. I AM COMMITTED TO KEEPING UP WITH LIST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES AND WILL BE CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE CITIZENSHIP AUDIT ONCE A YEAR GOING FORWARD.”

THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR RAFFENSPERGER’S OFFICE TOLD REPORTERS WEDNESDAY THAT IF YOU’RE A NON-CITIZEN, ON A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP AND YOU REGISTER TO VOTE, QUOTE “YOU WILL NEVER GET TO BE A CITIZEN. IT IS A VERY HIGH RISK, VERY LITTLE REWARD FOR ONE VOTE THING.”