Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate revealed this week that 87 individuals who are not U.S. citizens have participated in previous state elections out of a total of 2.3 million registered Iowa voters. Pate has reported these cases to the attorney general, and if found guilty, these individuals could potentially face felony charges.
Pate revealed that there were a total of 2,022 individuals who had previously identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens and were registered to vote in Iowa.
During the audit, it was discovered that a number of noncitizens had registered to vote when renewing their driver’s licenses through the Department of Transportation. This routine audit is conducted prior to every election. A spokesperson from Pate’s office mentioned that some of these individuals may have since become naturalized U.S. citizens, making them eligible to vote legally.
According to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in Georgia, a total of 20 noncitizens were found to be registered to vote. This number is out of a staggering 8.2 million registered voters in the state.
Raffensperger’s office has taken action by removing all 20 noncitizens from the voter rolls and providing their information to law enforcement. Raffensperger has stated that these individuals could potentially face charges as a result.
It is important to note that none of these noncitizens actually voted in the presidential election held in November. However, Raffensperger has revealed that nine of them had participated in previous elections.
During a news conference on Wednesday, October 23, Raffensperger emphasized the importance of continuous list maintenance. He stated, “List maintenance is not a one-time thing. It is an ongoing process with incremental improvement.
We need to remain constantly vigilant.” Raffensperger further expressed his commitment to keeping up with list maintenance activities and announced his plans to conduct a comprehensive citizenship audit once a year moving forward.
According to the chief operating officer of Raffensperger’s office, registering to vote as a noncitizen who is on a path to citizenship poses a significant risk with minimal rewards.
They emphasized that this action could potentially hinder one’s chances of becoming a citizen, highlighting the importance of considering the long-term consequences before making such a decision.
Iowa and Georgia officials have reported instances of noncitizens being registered to vote.