Noncitizen voting on U.S. voter rolls spans at least 25 years and has occurred across multiple states, with the recent discovery of 6,600 ineligible registrations in New Jersey representing the latest instance of a recurring issue. These findings are part of a long-standing pattern of state reviews, software failures, and prosecutions that have identified noncitizens registered to vote and, in some cases, casting ballots.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced the discovery of 6,600 ineligible voters on the state's rolls, attributing the issue to a "serious software error" in the state's Motor Vehicle System. While Sherrill stated that fewer than 400 of these improperly registered individuals actually voted, the incident comes shortly after President Donald Trump warned of digital election interference posing a threat to democracy.
Experts suggest these episodes highlight a persistent vulnerability in U.S. voting systems. However, the lack of a national standard for identifying and reporting such errors makes it difficult to ascertain the full scope of the problem. Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, described it as a "major vulnerability" and noted that many states have found non-citizens on their voter rolls in recent years.
While federal law requires states to maintain accurate voter rolls and makes it a federal crime for noncitizens to register or vote, there is no federal requirement for states to disclose their findings regarding noncitizen registrations. This has led to varying enforcement and reporting methods across states. Charles Stewart III, a political science professor specializing in elections at MIT, explained that the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 is silent on the issue of noncitizens on the rolls, and current federal law does not compel states to investigate or report these discrepancies.
Despite the lack of a federal mandate, states that have conducted reviews have reported significant findings. Since 2020, reviews have identified noncitizens registered to vote in Louisiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. For example, Louisiana's Secretary of State identified 403 noncitizens on its voter rolls, with 83 having voted. Iowa's audit confirmed 277 noncitizen registrations, and 35 voted in the 2024 election. Michigan's review found 15 individuals who appeared to be non-U.S. citizens cast ballots, and Ohio's Secretary of State's Office reported hundreds of apparent noncitizen voter registrations in multiple instances.
Further back, Pennsylvania found 1,160 apparent noncitizen registrations between 2000 and 2017, with 544 ballots cast by identified registrants. Texas authorities discovered a noncitizen who voted multiple times, and a Ghanaian national in Maryland voted in 10 federal elections after swearing he was a U.S. citizen. Colorado identified thousands of registered voters with questionable citizenship status, and Florida's reviews found hundreds of noncitizen registrations with voting histories.
In response to inquiries, the Department of Justice stated that it is investigating and will continue to press states to clean their rolls, prosecuting cases where evidence supports it. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also noted preliminary reviews of state records found "as many as" 250,000 noncitizens registered to vote in four states, including New Jersey, California, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. He emphasized that "ONLY Americans should elect American leaders" and that states must cooperate to ensure election integrity.
Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal, stated that "there are ways to fix it. It's just a matter of desire."