Idaho Governor Becomes Latest Republican to Spread Lies About Noncitizen Voting
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed an executive order Wednesday banning noncitizen voting in the state, even though it’s already illegal, falsely claiming it’s necessary because the Biden administration is “actively promoting registration of noncitizens to vote.”
Little’s executive order — The Only Citizens Will Vote Act — directs Secretary of State Phil McGrane (R) and Idaho’s county clerks to remove noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls.
McGrane said he is “proud to work closely” with Little on a plan to strengthen election integrity in the state.
“Across Idaho’s 44 counties, we have excellent mechanisms in place already to ensure non-citizens do not vote in Idaho, but there is always more we can do to make sure only citizens will vote,” McGrane said in a statement.
Little explained in a statement that he issued this order because he wants to “make sure Idaho’s elections do not fall prey to the consequences of Biden’s lawless open border.”
In his order, Little slams President Joe Biden’s 2021 executive order on “Promoting Access to Voting,” claiming that it’s “encouraging and directing federal agencies to promote voter registration at welfare offices and agencies providing services to non-citizens.” However, Biden’s executive order doesn’t mention noncitizens.
Little’s executive order also mandates that state agencies are not allowed to provide voter registration materials to non-citizens or coordinate with any federal programs or agencies that provide these materials to noncitizens.
This isn’t the first time noncitizen voting has come up in the state. Idaho’s Republican-controlled legislature passed an amendment to its state constitution stating that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections. The amendment will go on the November ballot, and voters will decide whether to approve it.
Several other Republican-led states have taken action to prevent noncitizen voting — which is extremely rare and already illegal — and so has the GOP in Congress. Just yesterday, the U.S. House passed a nationwide proof of citizenship bill — the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
As Republicans continue to sow seeds of doubt about the legitimacy of the 2024 election, the conversation about noncitizen voting likely won’t end anytime soon.