DHS cites unverified non-citizen voter registrations, state officials dispute numbers
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterated claims that hundreds of thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote, but letters to the states note the figures are unverified, prompting bipartisan pushback from election officials.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterated Thursday’s claim that a quarter-million non-citizens are registered to vote in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania, despite DHS letters to the states describing the numbers as unverified. In a letter to Pennsylvania, DHS said there may be as many as 14,576 non-citizens on the voter rolls, with 8,594 matches in its database, and asked for collaborative identity-verification assistance.
State election officials from both parties said they fear the federal effort to obtain voter-registration data could be used to exaggerate non-citizen voting and undermine confidence in the upcoming midterm elections. More than a dozen courts have rejected state requests for voter-roll data, and a judge recently ruled the DHS program central to the audits illegal. Mullin warned that officials who refuse to cooperate could face fines, penalties or even imprisonment.
New Hampshire’s Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan said he was “not intimidated” by a Justice Department threat, while Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs called the DOJ letter a “temper tantrum disguised as an official letter.” Idaho’s Republican attorney general similarly rejected the DOJ’s insinuations of criminal violations.
The SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) system used by DHS is known to generate inflated matches, and DHS requires states to conduct further investigations. Nevada Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said the numbers are “wildly speculative,” and Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt noted that non-citizen voting is “extremely rare.” Georgia and North Carolina officials clarified that flagged names are only potential matches, not confirmed non-citizens, and the actual number of votes cast by such individuals is likely far lower.
Election officials in Missouri continue to verify the citizenship status of more than 1,000 names flagged by DHS. The administration has not released data on how many of the flagged individuals may have voted.