Can illegal immigrants really vote in the US election?

The question of whether illegal immigrants can vote in US elections has become a hot topic, especially among politicians. Donald Trump and his Republican supporters have repeatedly claimed that the Democrats are trying to allow illegal immigrants to participate in elections. During a debate with Kamala Harris, Trump stated, 'Our elections are bad, and a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they're trying to get them to vote. ' Since early September, BBC Verify has identified over 100 advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram that have been paid for by Republicans, focusing on this issue. It is important to note that it is illegal for non-US citizens to vote in national elections, and studies indicate that instances of this happening are extremely rare. To prevent illegal immigrants from voting, there are strict laws in place. The law explicitly prohibits non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, from participating in federal elections. The consequences for violating this law can include a year in prison, hefty fines, and even deportation. Each state has its own voter registration process that requires individuals to affirm their US citizenship. This affirmation is done under penalty of perjury, meaning that if someone falsely claims to be a citizen, they could face serious legal repercussions. According to Jasleen Singh, a voting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, the requirement to check a box confirming citizenship is a significant deterrent for illegal immigrants, as lying about citizenship carries substantial risks. Additionally, many states cross-reference their voter rolls with various records, including those from citizenship and immigration services, death certificates, and postal records, to ensure that non-citizens, deceased individuals, or those living out of state are not registered to vote. When individuals arrive at polling places, there is a list of eligible voters. If a non-citizen attempts to vote, they will either be turned away or instructed to cast a provisional ballot, which will only be counted if they can provide proof of citizenship. It is also worth noting that non-citizens are not permitted to vote in state-wide elections. However, some local jurisdictions in California, Maryland, Vermont, and Washington DC do allow non-citizens to vote in specific local elections, such as those for school boards. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the extent to which illegal immigrants vote in US federal elections. Research from both conservative and liberal organizations suggests that the occurrence of illegal voting is exceedingly rare. For instance, a study conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice involved interviews with 44 election officials across 12 states during the 2016 election. The findings revealed that out of 23. 5 million votes counted in these states, only about 30 suspected incidents of non-citizen voting were referred for further investigation. This represents a minuscule fraction, approximately 0. 0001% of all votes cast. Similarly, an analysis by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research organization, identified only 77 instances of non-citizens voting between 1999 and 2023. Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, has stated, 'According to many sources of evidence, the number of non-citizens who vote in elections is very small. ' He emphasized that while it is not entirely absent, the number is insufficient to influence the outcome of an election. On the Republican side, there have been calls for stricter voter registration requirements. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship when registering to vote, has been rejected in the House of Representatives. Nevertheless, Republican lawmakers continue to advocate for more stringent citizenship requirements. Mike Johnson, a leading Republican in the House, pointed out that several states have conducted audits of their voter rolls and discovered thousands of non-citizens. He specifically mentioned Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, where polls indicate a close race between Trump and Harris. In Ohio, an investigation found that out of approximately eight million registered voters, there were 597 cases referred for further review regarding non-citizens registering to vote. In Pennsylvania, a glitch in electronic touchscreens at state driver's license centers mistakenly allowed non-citizens to see the option to register to vote while obtaining new or updated licenses. This issue persisted from 2006 to 2017 but has since been resolved. In Georgia, it was reported that 1,634 individuals attempted to register to vote but could not be verified, out of about seven million registered voters. Jasleen Singh argues that 'Voter fraud and illegal immigrants voting is so rare that this myth is to sow doubt in election integrity and lay the groundwork to cast doubt on the election outcome. ' Recently, BBC Verify identified 118 paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram from Republican candidates or political groups that claim widespread voter registration of non-citizens or question whether non-citizens should be allowed to vote in elections. These ads have been viewed between 7. 8 and nine million times on these platforms. One ad, which garnered over 2. 4 million views, posed the question, 'Should illegal immigrants be allowed to vote? ' Another ad from Congresswoman Ann Wagner, which received more than 900,000 views, asked the same question.