A new House bill is reigniting the debate over whether noncitizens voting in U.S. elections is a big issue. The two major political parties have two different conclusions and politically biased news organizations are covering the issue in very different ways.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP lawmakers unveiled a new proposal called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
The bill would require a person to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. Republicans argued the bill aims to make elections more secure and implement safeguards to ensure noncitizens cannot vote.
Those opposing the bill argue it is a non-issue because there are already laws in place that make it illegal to vote if you are a noncitizen. Democrats contend the bill will further fuel election fraud claims that were rampant after the last presidential election.
The two parties stand in stark contrast and that’s made clear in recent headlines about noncitizen voting. News outlets with a left-leaning bias tie the SAVE Act to Donald Trump and portray the proposal as unnecessary.
The Associated Press: “Noncitizen voting isn’t an issue in federal elections, regardless of conspiracy theories. Here’s why.”
Reuters: “US Republicans target noncitizen voting, as Trump keeps up false voter fraud claims.”
The Washington Post: “The 2020-was-stolen crew is here to stoke fears of noncitizen voters.”
News outlets with a right-leaning bias tie the SAVE Act to illegal immigration increasing the number of noncitizens and portray noncitizen voting as a prevalent issue.
The Federalist: “Republicans Introduce SAVE Act To Block Illegal Aliens From Voting In U.S. Elections.”
The Washington Times: “Noncitizens caught voting in U.S. elections — here’s how they did it.”
FOX News: “House GOP eyes election safeguards to block ‘dangerously high number’ of illegal immigrants from voting.”
Here’s what Straight Arrow News found while researching on the topic.
It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote, according to The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires a person to sign a document under penalty of perjury certifying that they are a U.S. citizen. However, there is also no federal system in place that verifies whether a voter is telling the truth.
Data available shows no proof of widespread voter fraud by noncitizens, though the data is limited.
A study by the Brennan Center, conducted after the 2016 election and published in 2017, is widely cited in reports about noncitizen voting, including in the AP and Reuters articles.
The study found only a few dozen cases out of millions that involved noncitizens potentially casting votes.
However, the study had limitations. Researchers conducted phone interviews with election officials in 44 counties out of more than 3,000 in the U.S., according to the study.
The study said the numerical responses given by the officials could be inaccurate as well. The report lists that factor under the “accounting for limitations” section of the study.
“The safeguards described were insufficient for preventing or identifying the registration of ineligible people,” the study said.
In conclusion, the number of known instances of noncitizens voting is extremely low, however, it’s not easy to track, according to some election officials.
The SAVE Act proposal, though igniting a divisive debate, is likely to go nowhere in Congress. The bill could pass the House where Republicans have the majority, but it would have slim chances to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Additionally, it is almost a surety President Biden would not sign it.
While lawmakers figure out whether to pass the law, Americans have already been polled on the issue.
A Gallup poll, Rasmussen poll and the Pew Research Center all found that 79%-81% of Americans are in favor of requiring people to show a government-issued photo I.D. to vote.
Additionally, on the issue of proof of citizenship, a YouGov poll found two-thirds of Americans are in favor of it.
