Staff Reports
Florida’s secretary of state, Cord Byrd, urged the federal government to give states access to important databases in order to identify and remove noncitizens who are registering and voting in elections. Byrd expressed his concerns to the House Administration Committee, emphasizing the necessity of up-to-date citizenship information for maintaining clean voter lists. He criticized the federal government for not readily providing this crucial data to the states.
States ask for federal help to block noncitizen voting – https://t.co/iGdUgJ9b5W
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 16, 2024
The hearing, led by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, addressed the issue of noncitizen voting and its potential impact on the 2024 election. Specifically, concerns were raised about the District of Columbia’s new noncitizen voter system, which allows noncitizens who have been residents for 30 days or more to participate in local elections, regardless of their citizenship or legal status. This prompted criticism from Rep. Steil, who highlighted the challenges in distinguishing noncitizen voters from citizens participating in federal elections.
J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, testified about the vulnerabilities in voter registration systems that can lead to noncitizens mistakenly registering and voting. He cited an instance in Pennsylvania where the motor vehicle bureau’s system prompted noncitizens to register to vote, resulting in wrongful registrations. Adams emphasized the need to address these systemic flaws to prevent noncitizen voting.
On the other hand, Democrats raised objections to the hearing, characterizing it as an attempt to undermine confidence in the upcoming presidential election. They highlighted their concerns about the potential impact on voter participation and emphasized the need to focus on removing barriers to voting and expanding the Voting Rights Act to safeguard voting rights.
While Republican witnesses expressed concerns about the lack of investigation into noncitizen voting, Democrats, represented by Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, argued that the voting system is secure and emphasized the need to focus on improving access to voting. However, GOP witnesses contended that the failure to investigate instances of noncitizen voting makes it difficult to accurately assess the extent of the problem.
The hearing shed light on the ongoing debate over noncitizen voting and the measures needed to ensure the integrity of elections. Despite differing viewpoints, both parties acknowledged the importance of addressing potential vulnerabilities in the voter registration system to uphold the integrity of elections.
