US Governor Finds Thousands of Noncitizen Registered Voters- Many Worry This Will Affect the 2024 Election
With the US presidential election right around the corner, every American, and realistically people from around the world, are not-so-patiently waiting to see who the next leader of the free world will be.
One governor, Glenn Youngkin from Virginia, has taken the past few months to ensure that every registered voter in the state is actually a citizen of the United States, and he has found far more noncitizen registered voters than he could have imagined. Many worry that this reality could affect the 2024 election in more ways than one.
Who Can Vote in the US Presidential Election?
Before discussing Gov. Youngkin’s findings and how this situation will affect the upcoming election, it’s crucial to understand the laws regarding who can and cannot vote in the United States.
![A passport and paperwork next to an American flag](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/25291da2-img11.jpg)
Source: @Romy B. Jurado/Linkedin
According to the United States government, you can only vote in a federal election, i.e., the presidential election, if you are a US citizen. Noncitizens, such as those with temporary or permanent visas like green cards, can sometimes vote in local elections but never those at the federal level.
Noncitizens Can Be Registered to Vote Locally, But Not Federally
This complex law has led to confusion in the past, where noncitizens who registered to vote locally were then allowed to vote for a federal presidential election illegally.
![Two hands holding small pieces of paper with the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/dace06d4-img15.jpg)
Source: Freepik
And many Americans, including lawmakers, say this error needs to be rectified before the November election. As Gov. Youngkin explained, “This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American and Virginian issue.”
Gov. Youngkin Found 6,000 Noncitizen Registered Voters in Virginia
After a thorough investigation, Gov. Youngkin said he discovered more than 6,000 noncitizen registered voters in the Virginia system who could have technically voted in the upcoming presidential election.
![Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, speaks to an audience](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/41ab2c97-img19.jpg)
Source: @13News Now/YouTube
In response to his findings, the governor recently signed an executive order to improve election security protocols throughout the state. The order mandates a “documented chain of custody for paper ballots” and requires “those registering to vote to provide their full 9-digit Social Security number for registration.”
Triple-Check of Result Accuracy
Additionally, Youngkin’s Executive Order 35 states that “Virginia [will] not use ‘voting machines,’ just paper ballot counting machines.” And that absentee ballots “may not be counted until the last four digits of a voter’s Social Security number and year of birth provided on the envelope are matched to the voter’s record in the statewide voter registration system.”
![A voter holds a US flag while waiting in line to cast their vote](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/0f84afa2-img23.jpg)
Source: iStock
The mandate also established a “triple-check of election result accuracy,” meaning officials must check the results three separate times before verifying each and every vote.
Those Removed From the Voter Roll Have Two Weeks to Prove They Are a Citizen
Gov. Youngkin has already removed more than 6,3000 people from the state’s voter roll. However, he explained that everyone removed will have two weeks to prove that they are, in fact, American citizens and should be on the voter roll.
![A photograph provided by the USCIS that shows evidence of American citizenship](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/02c5c1a7-img26.jpg)
Source: USCIS
Youngkin said, “This is a very transparent process,” and believes that all states should “scrub existing voter rolls and remove noncitizens who may have purposefully or accidentally registered to vote.”
There’s No Way Thousands of People Are Illegally Voting in the US
While many people around the country agree wholeheartedly with Gov. Youngkin’s mandate and believe that state governments should aggressively scour their voting registries for noncitizen voters, others say the situation isn’t exactly what the governor says it is.
![A hand places a voting ballot into a box](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/da79f78b-img31.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Many argue that these so-called noncitizen voters would never be able to vote in a presidential election, even though they are registered to vote in local elections, because the system wouldn’t allow it. Therefore, this idea that thousands of immigrants are illegally voting in federal elections is nothing more than a scare tactic.
Voting in a Presidential Election Without Citizenship Is a Federal Crime
Realistically, voting in a presidential election without citizenship is a federal crime, punishable by imprisonment and severe crimes.
![A black and white photograph of a faceless man wearing handcuffs](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/2e534890-img36.jpg)
Source: Freepik
One side of the argument is that even if they thought they could get away with it, very few migrants would risk imprisonment and deportation simply to cast their one vote in a presidential election.
Are Noncitizen Voters a Bipartisan Problem?
It’s also important to note that while Gov. Youngkin claims noncitizen voting registration is a bipartisan problem, only Republican lawmakers and Americans seem to be concerned.
![Side-by-side photographs of presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/c9d06e16-img39.jpg)
Source: @ABC7/YouTube
However, while some say that Democrats and their leaders aren’t worried because they don’t believe noncitizen voting is a real problem, others argue that they simply aren’t complaining because, statistically, migrants vote Blue.
Trump Blamed Voter Fraud for Losing the Race in 2020
No matter which side of the argument you agree with, the truth is that ensuring the only ballots counted are those that were tendered legally is wildly important this year. In fact, it may be more important than it ever has been before.
![Former president and candidate for 2024, Donald Trump, speaks to an audience](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/170473c3-img43.jpg)
Source: @The Telegraph/YouTube
And that’s because, when Donald Trump lost the election in 2020, he blamed voter fraud, specifically that millions of immigrants illegally voted to ensure Biden took the White House.
Riots Ensued When the Former President Said He’d Been Cheated
After Trump announced that he had been cheated of the presidency due to illegal immigrant voting, riots and protests ensued all over the country, including an attack on the US Capitol by Republicans who believed Trump should rightly be the president.
![An upside-down American flag flying in support of former president Donald Trump](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/28d764e5-img48.jpg)
Source: Reddit
Therefore, if Trump loses again in 2024, and there is even a whiff of a rumor that noncitizens were able to cast their votes, it could and likely will mean violence in the streets of America.
It’s Important to Democracy That the Voting Laws Are Upheld During the 2024 Election
Trump has supported Gov. Youngkin’s efforts to ensure no noncitizens are able to vote in Virginia, saying, “The beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia, superbly led by Governor Glenn Youngkin, IS TAKING A STRONG LEAD IN SECURING THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER — PROTECTING EVERY LEGAL VOTE AND KEEPING ILLEGAL ALIENS THAT HAVE BEEN LET INTO OUR COUNTRY FROM VOTING.”
![A sign that reads “Presidential Election 2024” with a voting tick on top of an American flag](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/08/92333416-img52.jpg)
Source: Shutterstock
However, while Trump’s support makes this issue seem like a Republican problem, it really is important for all parties that the country’s voting laws be upheld this November and during every election to come.