Is a bill to require proof of citizenship for voting necessary?

[KARAH RUCKER]

NONCITIZENS VOTING IN U.S. ELECTIONS.

HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM IS IT?

THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.

THE TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS.

AND NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WITH A POLITICAL BIAS –

ARE COVERING THE ISSUE IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. 

BACK IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK IS ELECTION SECURITY –

AS HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON – ALONGSIDE GOP LAWMAKERS – UNVEILED A NEW PROPOSAL CALLED “THE SAVE ACT”.

IT WOULD **REQUIRE A PERSON TO PROVIDE **PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP IN ORDER TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

REPUBLICANS ARGUE – ITS TO MAKE ELECTIONS MORE SECURE AND TO PUT IN SAFEGUARDS TO ENSURE **NON-CITIZENS CAN’T VOTE.

THOSE OPPOSING THE BILL ARGUE – IT’S A **NON-ISSUE –

BECAUSE THERE’S ALREADY LAWS IN PLACE THAT SAY ITS ILLEGAL.

AND DEMOCRATS CONTEND – ITS A BILL TO TRY AND FURTHER FUEL ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS THAT WERE RAMPANT AFTER THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

THE TWO SIDES STAND IN STARK CONTRAST.

AND THAT’S MADE CLEAR IN RECENT HEADLINES ABOUT “NONCITIZEN VOTING.”

NEWS OUTLETS WITH A LEFT-LEANING BIAS TIE “THE SAVE ACT” TO TRUMP. 2020. AND PORTRAY THE PROPOSAL AS UNNECESSARY.

AN ASSOCIATED PRESS HEADLINE READS “NONCITIZEN VOTING ISN’T AN ISSUE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS, REGARDLESS OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES.”

REUTERS’ SAYS “US Republicans target noncitizen voting, as Trump keeps up false voter fraud claims.”

THE WASHINGTON POST. “THE 2020-WAS-STOLEN CREW IS HERE TO STOKE FEARS OF NONCITIZEN VOTERS.

NEWS OUTLETS WITH A RIGHT-LEANING BIAS TIE “THE SAVE ACT” TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BOLSTERING THE NUMBERS OF NONCITIZENS.

AND PORTRAY “NONCITIZEN VOTING” AS A PREVALENT ISSUE.

THE FEDERALIST HEADLINE READS “REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE SAVE ACT TO BLOCK ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM VOTING IN U.S. ELECTIONS.”

THE WASHINGTON TIMES. “NONCITIZENS CAUGHT VOTING IN U.S. ELECTIONS – HERE’S HOW THEY DID IT.”

AND FOX NEWS. “House GOP eyes election safeguards to block ‘dangerously high number’ of illegal immigrants from voting.”

THE HEADLINES – HAVE A WHIPLASH EFFECT.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT TAKES ON A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.

HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND THROUGH OUR OWN RESEARCH ON THE TOPIC.

IS IT ALREADY ILLEGAL FOR NONCITIZENS TO VOTE?

YES.

THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT REQUIRES A PERSON TO SIGN A DOCUMENT “UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY” THEY ARE A U.S. CITIZEN – AND IF THEY’RE CAUGHT LYING ABOUT IT, THEN THEY BROKE THE LAW.

IS THERE A FEDERAL SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT VERIFIES A VOTER IS TELLING THE TRUTH?

NO.

IS THERE PROOF OF WIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD BY NONCITIZENS?

NO.

BUT THE DATA AVAILABLE IS LIMITED.

A STUDY BY THE BRENNAN CENTER PUBLISHED IN 2017 AND CONDUCTED AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION IS WIDELY CITED IN REPORTS ABOUT NONCITIZEN VOTING – INCLUDING IN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND REUTERS ARTICLES.

THE STUDY FOUND ONLY A FEW DOZEN CASES OUT OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF VOTES WERE POTENTIALLY CAST BY NONCITIZENS.

BUT THE STUDY – HAD LIMITATIONS – NOT TALKED ABOUT IN THOSE NEWS ARTICLES.

IT WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH PHONE INTERVIEWS WITH ELECTION OFFICIALS IN 44 COUNTIES OUT OF MORE THAN 3 THOUSAND IN THE U.S

THE STUDY SAYS THE NUMERICAL RESPONSES GIVEN BY THE OFFICIALS COULD BE INACCURATE.

AND SOME OF THE ELECTION OFFICIALS INTERVIEWED SAID “THE SAFEGUARDS DESCRIBED WERE INSUFFICIENT FOR PREVENTING OR IDENTIFYING THE REGISTRATION OF INELIGIBLE PEOPLE.”

SO IN CONCLUSION –

THE NUMBER OF **KNOWN INSTANCES OF NONCITIZENS VOTING IS EXTREMELY LOW.

THE SAVE ACT PROPOSAL – THOUGH IGNITING A DIVISIVE DEBATE – IS LIKELY TO GO NOWHERE.

IT COULD LIKELY PASS THE HOUSE WHERE REPUBLICANS HAVE THE MAJORITY.

BUT WOULD have slim chances to PASS in THE DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE –

AND ALMOST A SURETY BIDEN WOULDN’T SIGN IT.

WHILE LAWMAKERS FIGURE OUT WHETHER TO PASS THE LAW OR NOT –

WHERE DO **AMERICANS STAND ON SHOWING I-D AT THE POLLS?

WHILE LAWMAKERS HAVE TAKEN A PARTISAN STANCE –

A GALLUP POLL, RASMUSSEN POLL, AND THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER ALL FOUND THAT 79 TO 81 PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE IN FAVOR OF REQUIRING PEOPLE TO SHOW A GOVERNMENT-ISSUED PHOTO ID TO VOTE.

ON THE ISSUE OF PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP – A YOUGOV POLL FOUND TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS ARE IN FAVOR OF IT.