Liberal pundits and Democrats in Congress claim that the U.S.’s elections are secure, that it is extremely difficult for noncitizens to vote, and that there is thus no need for substantial policy changes such as those contained in the SAVE America Act. But a careful review of state voter registration requirements reveals that the exact opposite is true.
As difficult as it might be for some to accept, in many states, it is currently easy for noncitizens to register to vote illegally. To make matters worse, states have very few tools to root out the problem or even determine how prevalent noncitizen voting actually is.
The provisions in the SAVE Act, which would strengthen requirements to prove citizenship and limit mail-in balloting, are essential for ensuring that America’s elections run honestly and fairly.
ICE ARRESTS ‘CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN’ FOR VOTER FRAUD IN PHILADELPHIA
Weak voter registration requirements
While current federal law bans noncitizens from voting in federal elections, it does very little to enforce this requirement.
In more than 40 states, voter registration rules are so lax that it is nearly impossible to know if an individual attempting to register is a citizen.
Take Oregon, for example. The state’s official voter registration form provides three different categories of documents that registrants can use to prove their identity: a state ID (such as a driver’s license), the last four digits of a Social Security number, or one document from a long list of alternative forms of identification.
In 19 states, including Oregon, immigrants who enter the country without legal permission are permitted to obtain a driver’s license or other driving authorization ID; therefore, using a license to register does not prove citizenship. It would, however, make it easier for election officials to later flag a registered voter, should the state carefully investigate its rolls.
Of course, prospective registrants do not necessarily need to provide an ID to register. They can instead provide the last four digits of a SSN.
Because illegal immigrants are not assigned SSNs, this option would seemingly prevent them from registering. But this fails to account for a fatal flaw: many illegal immigrants possess and illegally use a stolen SSN — a problem that has persisted for decades.
There is no official government statistic on the illegal use of SSNs, but Social Security Administration officials have previously estimated that about 75% of illegal immigrants contribute payroll taxes, which inherently requires the illicit use of an SSN.
Obtaining a stolen SSN is often simple in areas with high populations of illegal immigrants — a fact that even the left-wing New York Times has acknowledged. In a 2005 article, the Times reported, “Currently available for about $150 on street corners in just about any immigrant neighborhood in California, a typical fake ID package includes a green card and a Social Security card.”
The primary reason illegal immigrants use SSNs is for employment, not voter registration. However, in most states, an individual with a stolen SSN could use it to register without ever needing to show another form of ID. Depending on the circumstances, it could be extremely difficult for a state’s election officials to discover this fraud.
Unfortunately, the problems do not end there. In dozens of states, a registrant need not provide a SSN or a state ID to register. Instead, registration can occur using one of several alternative documents, none of which provide proof of citizenship.
For example, Oregon’s registration form allows applicants to use alternate, nongovernment photo identification. Applicants may also use a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement, or a non-photo government document. This means anyone with a mailing address and a cable or gas bill can be added to the voter rolls, all without being required to provide any other kind of identification.
The idea that any of these forms of identification ensures noncitizens are kept off the voter rolls is laughable. Far from providing election security, current voter rules make it easy for illegal immigrants to register to vote.
Requirements to vote
Although most states provide very little security for voter registration, the situation varies when it comes to casting ballots. States with strong voter ID laws and in-person balloting make it difficult for noncitizens to vote. But not all states have such laws.
Twenty-four states require a photo ID to vote in person, including Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
Twelve states require identification but do not mandate that it include a photograph.
Another 14 states do not have any voter ID requirements for most voters, including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
Even worse, many states now allow no-excuse mail-in voting, and eight states conduct all-mail elections.
Some mail-in balloting systems have good safeguards to limit fraud. In Missouri, for example, absentee ballot signatures must be notarized. But in most cases, mail-in ballots are not nearly as secure as they ought to be, opening the floodgates to fraud.
All told, in about half of states, illegal immigrants can easily register to vote and cast a ballot without needing to show a photo ID.
The SAVE Act attempts to solve this problem by requiring photo identification to vote, guaranteeing that only U.S. citizens can register, and restricting mail-in balloting to those who truly need it, such as individuals with disabilities and those serving in the military.
‘INFLUENCERS’ ARE LYING TO YOU ABOUT THE SAVE ACT
We can no longer afford to operate our elections on the honor system. The stakes are simply too high to leave our democratic process vulnerable to glaring loopholes that can easily be exploited.
Passing the SAVE Act is not about disenfranchising legitimate voters; it is a common-sense measure to protect the integrity of the ballot box. If lawmakers are truly confident in the security of our elections, they should have no objection to proving it by closing these disastrous gaps in the law once and for all.
Justin Haskins is a New York Times bestselling author, vice president at the Heartland Institute, and a senior fellow for Our Republic.