A report by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) has exposed longstanding issues in voter registration practices in Alameda County, California, where noncitizens have been systematically registered to vote for at least two decades. This has occurred due to a lack of verification or disregard of immigration status by election officials, according to PILF’s findings.
Foreign nationals have reportedly been allowed to register and vote even after admitting their noncitizen status during interviews. The problem in Alameda County, described as business as usual for at least two decades, first came to light with evidence of an illegal immigrant being registered in 2004. PILF’s research identified 54 instances where noncitizens were improperly allowed to vote. The foundation has called on states to implement robust safeguards to prevent such occurrences.
In February 2024, PILF initiated legal action against Alameda County to obtain records of noncitizens being approved for voter registration and remaining on voter rolls, even when their ineligibility was later discovered. After pursuing the lawsuit, the foundation received documents that detailed over 60 voter registration files. These records revealed two critical issues: noncitizens openly admitted their status on registration forms, and they often remained on voter rolls until they sought naturalization and requested removal.
SHODDY VETTING.
PILF criticized the county for its failure to verify citizenship, relying instead on self-reported information from registrants. “The disclosed documents illustrate how foreign nationals are transparent or reticent about their ineligibility, yet still become registered voters,” stated PILF President J. Christian Adams. Adams also remarked on California‘s potential to improve citizenship verification if state leadership demonstrated willingness.
A federal investigation in North Carolina found similar evidence of noncitizens being registered to vote—with a number of them casting ballots.
Research indicates that noncitizen voting favors Democrats and has happened at a large enough scale to change election outcomes.
