A major federal review of United States voter data has concluded there is no evidence of widespread voting fraud by migrants, directly contradicting repeated assertions made by former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies.
Scrutiny of Millions of Registrations
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) examined approximately 49.5 million voter registrations as part of its analysis. The review, which relied on records voluntarily submitted by state and local election departments, resulted in only about 10,000 cases being referred for further inspection. Crucially, officials noted that not all of these flagged individuals had necessarily cast a ballot.
Claims Versus Evidence
The findings stand in stark opposition to the narrative of rampant non-citizen voting frequently promoted by Donald Trump. The former president has previously taken significant steps based on these claims, including signing an executive order to require proof of citizenship on federal voter registration forms and launching lawsuits against states to obtain sensitive voting data.
However, this new federal assessment aligns with the long-standing consensus among independent researchers, who have consistently stated that widespread voter fraud by non-citizens is not a material issue in US elections.
Implications for Election Integrity Debates
The review's conclusions are likely to fuel further political debate around US election integrity. While the DHS investigation identified a tiny fraction of registrations for additional checks, it found no proof to support allegations of systematic fraud affecting electoral outcomes. This federal data challenge a central pillar of the GOP's argument for stricter voting laws and continued audits of the electoral process.
