RNC Falsely Accuses Democratic Election Officials of Allowing Noncitizens to Vote

By Matt Cohen

Voters stand in line at a polling place (Adobe Stock).

The Republican National Committee (RNC) sent letters last week to the Democratic secretaries of state in eight states, falsely accusing them of allowing noncitizens to vote in their state’s elections. 

“It is illegal for non-citizens to vote in our elections,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. “Yet time and again, we have seen Democrat officials oppose basic safeguards and dismantle election integrity provisions, intentionally opening the door to non-citizen voting in our elections.”

The letters come days after the RNC and MN GOP allegedly “discovered that a non-citizen, legally residing in the U.S., received a primary ballot in Minnesota.” The RNC and MN GOP then sent a letter to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon (D) “demanding answers, citizenship verification prior to registering to vote, and an immediate review of the voter rolls.”

In response, Simon’s office issued a statement clarifying that there wasn’t any evidence that a noncitizen received a primary ballot. “Our office has received a letter from the Republican National Committee stating a non-citizen received a primary ballot in the mail. However, we have not been provided with any evidence to substantiate the claims made in the letter,” the statement said, according to Alpha News. “If evidence is provided, our staff will review it and determine the appropriate next steps.”

The RNC letters are the latest developments in the GOP’s ongoing effort to spread misinformation about noncitizen voting. Since 2020, Republicans have spread false claims about noncitizens voting in federal elections, but the rhetoric picked up steam in April, when House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) joined former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort to announce a nationwide proof of citizenship bill.

As Whatley noted, it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections — and has been since 1996. But the RNC’s letters did not mention there’s no evidence that noncitizens are voting en masse. The reality is that instances of noncitizens voting in federal elections is extremely rare. 

Learn more about the GOP myths about noncitizen voting here.