How many illegal immigrants have been permitted to vote in US elections? The number has been shrouded by federal law until the Trump Administration provided states with the authority to audit voter rolls. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced the results of the Texas state audit—2,724 noncitizens across 254 counties are currently registered to vote.
“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said. “The Trump Administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”
This may seem to be a relatively small sample, considering the 18 million registered voters in Texas, yet it is essential for election integrity. The audit compared federal citizenship records to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database. Voters in question will now have 30 days to prove citizenship or face removal from voter registration.
Oregon conducted a voter audit and found 1,822 noncitizen registered voters. Local governments claimed it was due to a Motor Voter clerical error, and only 38 noncitizens cast a vote in the 2024 US Presidential Election. Iowa’s search found 2,000 noncitizen voters on roll, 35 of whom cast a vote in the last presidential election. Michigan’s audit found 15 migrants who voted in the last election, while Louisiana’s audit found 79 had voted.
Under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 611), it is unlawful for any alien to vote in US elections. The punishment can include up to a year of imprisonment, although deportation is the typical result. Some believe that there are too few registered voters to warrant the expense of an audit. The problem becomes what happens when these matters go undetected. There was a clear plan to flood states with state-sponsored migrants who were guaranteed to vote for one party. The tactic becomes far less efficient when monitored to ensure that only citizens have a say in the direction of the nation.