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Category: Election Integrity
September 25, 2024
Election 2024
Election Integrity

1200 Noncitizen Voters Found in Oregon.

Oregon’s Democrat Secretary of State, LaVonne Griffin-Valade, is dismissing concerns about noncitizen voters in her state despite evidence showing over 1,200 noncitizens were erroneously registered to vote. According to Sec. Griffin-Valade, instances of noncitizen voting are “exceedingly rare.” She also defended the state’s so-called “motor-voter” system—an automatic voter registration program—despite recent revelations that noncitizens were listed as eligible voters due to a data entry error.

The National Pulse reported last week that 300 noncitizens had initially been identified on Oregon’s state voter rolls. However, the number has risen to 1,259 upon further investigation by state officials. After the initial discovery, Sec. Griffin-Valade insisted that the registered noncitizens “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote.”

However, as nine of the noncitizen voters in Oregon have already cast ballots in the election, Griffin-Valade’s office deactivated all 1,259 registrations pending additional review. This means other than the nine who have cast ballots, these individuals will not receive mail-in ballots for the upcoming 2024 election but will have the opportunity to re-register if they provide proper documentation proving their eligibility.

Griffin-Valade attributed the erroneous registrations to manual errors at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), where staff mistakenly recorded foreign identification as U.S. identification, triggering the automatic voter registration system. The DMV has implemented a verification prompt on data entry screens and daily audits of all transactions before finalizing registrations in hopes this will prevent future errors.

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, but academic research indicates poor vetting results in many doing so regardless, swaying election outcomes.

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Oregon's Democrat Secretary of State, LaVonne Griffin-Valade, is dismissing concerns about noncitizen voters in her state despite evidence showing over 1,200 noncitizens were erroneously registered to vote. According to Sec. Griffin-Valade, instances of noncitizen voting are "exceedingly rare." She also defended the state's so-called "motor-voter" system—an automatic voter registration program—despite recent revelations that noncitizens were listed as eligible voters due to a data entry error. show more
mail in ballot
September 24, 2024
Election Integrity

RNC Sues Over Mail-In Ballots in Red State Where Almost No One Uses Mail-In Ballots… But It COULD Be a Smart Move.

Republicans are contesting Mississippi’s mail-in ballot policies in a move that could affect similar practices across the country. The case is being heard by a panel of three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—all appointed by former President Donald J. Trump. The Republican National Committee (RNC) and its allies argue that Mississippi’s policy of counting mail-in ballots received within five days post-Election Day violates federal law.

Mississippi’s voting rule mandates a firm reason for absentee voting, which means changes would affect a limited number of voters. In 2020’s general election, over 80 percent of Mississippi’s ballots were cast in person.

But the move could trigger challenges in other states where mail-in ballots matter far more.

Currently, around 20 others, including Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, California, and New York, allow the counting of mail-in ballots received days after the election if they meet arbitrary postmark deadlines. The RNC’s move is a marked change from past election legal strategies—this time, it is suing in a state with a relatively friendly appellate division and potentially setting up a quick Supreme Court hearing before the November election.

Washington state, where all elections are conducted by mail, counted over 400,000 ballots that arrived post-Election Day during the 2022 midterms.

The Supreme Court generally dissuades judicial changes to voting rules close to elections, a principle known as the Purcell doctrine. However, inconsistencies in their application could leave the door open for a ruling. Should the 5th Circuit establish a precedent against Mississippi’s policy, Republicans might use it in future challenges to election regulations elsewhere.

The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) oppose the RNC, insisting that Congress has not legislated against post-Election Day ballot acceptance despite many states adopting such policies.

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Republicans are contesting Mississippi’s mail-in ballot policies in a move that could affect similar practices across the country. The case is being heard by a panel of three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—all appointed by former President Donald J. Trump. The Republican National Committee (RNC) and its allies argue that Mississippi's policy of counting mail-in ballots received within five days post-Election Day violates federal law. show more
September 23, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Election Integrity
Media

Media Preps Public to Expect Trump Win Followed by Mail-In Ballot Reversal.

The Washington Post Editorial Board is priming readers to expect an apparent victory for Donald J. Trump on election night, being reversed by a flood of mail-in ballots, as in 2020. “If Democrats continue to vote by mail more than Republicans, early returns will probably show Mr. Trump leading, but the gap will close as votes are tallied,” the board writes, describing this as a “red mirage.”

Trump, The Washington Post recalls, described this as a case of “Democrats dumping ballots” in 2020, but the board insists it was actually “an entirely foreseeable and legitimate consequence of voting patterns and state counting policies.”

The board notes that “Mr. Trump may well win this election fair and square” but stresses that “Democrats returned 18 million ballots by mail compared with about 10 million from Republicans across 20 states with party registration data” in 2020 and that “it will probably still take longer to tally the high volume of ballots in [Democrat-voting] urban centers such as Philadelphia and Milwaukee than the lower number in redder, rural areas.”

However, The Washington Post concedes that the Democrats’ mail-in voting advantage narrowed in 2022, with the left-liberal party casting 7.6 million mail-in ballots compared to 5.1 million for the Republicans.

ENTIRELY LEGITIMATE?

Despite the Democrat and corporate media’s insistence that mail-in voting is secure, research suggests such ballots were substantially fraudulent in 2020.

For instance, polling of mail-in voters by the Heartland Institute found that 17 percent of respondents voted in states where they were no longer residents, 21 percent filled out ballots for someone else, and 17 percent “forge[d] the signature of a friend or family member on their behalf, with or without their permission”—all election law violations that would render the ballots invalid. Ten percent of respondents also said they knew someone else who had committed these offenses.

Rasmussen polling resulted in similar findings regarding mail-in voters casting ballots in the wrong state and filling out other people’s documents. One in 10 Rasmussen respondents also said they were offered “pay” or a “reward” for voting in 2020.

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The Washington Post Editorial Board is priming readers to expect an apparent victory for Donald J. Trump on election night, being reversed by a flood of mail-in ballots, as in 2020. "If Democrats continue to vote by mail more than Republicans, early returns will probably show Mr. Trump leading, but the gap will close as votes are tallied," the board writes, describing this as a "red mirage." show more
hand counting ballots
September 20, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Election Integrity

WIN: Georgia to Require Hand Count of Ballots to Confirm Electronic Results.

In another win for election integrity efforts in Georgia, the state board of elections—in a 3-2 decision—is requiring counties to hand count all ballots in November’s election. According to the Georgia State Election Board, ballots will still be counted electronically as well, but the hand count will be required prior to official certification of the election results.

The initiative was spearheaded by local activists without help from the Republican National Committee or Trump campaign staff.

Critics of the decision are disingenuously claiming that requiring a handout has the potential of “upending the November election” and could “[delay] reporting of results by weeks if not months.” However, the electronic count will still occur, and voters will almost certainly know the election results reasonably quickly.

The hand count will simply act as a transparency measure to confirm the electronic results. While it may take time, it will occur before the results can be certified. Most U.S. states already take a week or more to certify their presidential election results.

Proponents of the new rule note that significant irregularities have been uncovered in several Georgia counties. The National Pulse reported in May that numerous deficiencies were found by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office in Fulton County, including that election officials implemented improper procedures during its 2020 presidential election recount.

The inquiry was prompted by a July 8, 2022, complaint alleging the inappropriate count of 17,852 ballots. The investigation revealed duplicate ballot images, implying probable multiple scanning of some ballots and thousands of missing ballot images.

Earlier this summer, the state’s election board enacted two other measures. Both rules ensure that the number of ballots cast is the number of ballots counted prior to certification.

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In another win for election integrity efforts in Georgia, the state board of elections—in a 3-2 decision—is requiring counties to hand count all ballots in November's election. According to the Georgia State Election Board, ballots will still be counted electronically as well, but the hand count will be required prior to official certification of the election results. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
It’s interesting, isn’t it? This wasn’t some RNC or Trump campaign effort
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It’s interesting, isn’t it? This wasn’t some RNC or Trump campaign effort show more
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September 19, 2024
Jack Montgomery & Raheem Kassam
Election Integrity

Academic Research: ‘Non-Citizens Prefer Democrats, Swing Elections, Change Congress.’

Researchers writing in the peer-reviewed Electoral Studies journal in 2014 estimated that 6.4 percent of noncitizens voted in the 2008 election. The 2014 paper Do non-citizens Vote in U.S. Elections? notes that while there is a legal ban on noncitizens voting, “enforcement depends principally on disclosure of citizenship status at the time of voter registration.”

The study authors found that noncitizen voters favored Democratic Party candidates and voted in sufficient numbers to change the composition of both the Electoral College and Congress. In particular, they found that noncitizen voters “likely gave Senate Democrats the pivotal 60th vote needed to overcome filibusters in order to pass health care reform and other Obama administration priorities in the 111th Congress.”

“We find that some non-citizens participate in U.S. elections, and that this participation has been large enough to change meaningful election outcomes including Electoral College votes, and Congressional elections,” researchers from the Department of Political Science at Old Dominion University and George Mason University wrote.

Earlier this year, The National Pulse reported that a federal investigation into noncitizen voters in North Carolina found that they were three times more likely to support Democrat candidates over Republican ones. Additionally, the investigators uncovered instances of local election officials knowingly registering noncitizens if they believed they would support Democratic Party candidates.

SAVE ACT.

Democratic lawmakers are opposing Republican efforts to improve election security through the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would enhance citizenship checks. Democrats argue that because there is a ban on noncitizen voting on paper, there are no issues. However, as things stand, federal voter registration forms only require individuals to affirm their citizenship by checking a box, so the process relies on a de facto honor system.

House Republicans are currently trying to tie the SAVE Act to a short-term funding resolution, but the Biden-Harris government has vowed to veto it if it passes the House and somehow survives the Democrat-controlled Senate.

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Researchers writing in the peer-reviewed Electoral Studies journal in 2014 estimated that 6.4 percent of noncitizens voted in the 2008 election. The 2014 paper Do non-citizens Vote in U.S. Elections? notes that while there is a legal ban on noncitizens voting, "enforcement depends principally on disclosure of citizenship status at the time of voter registration." show more
September 19, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Election Integrity

Can Non-Citizens Register to Vote? This Evidence Says YES.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) appears to have clandestinely edited instructions on its government website in the past several days. The instructions suggested that noncitizens applying for an ID privilege card could register to vote when completing their application. Despite the language used in the instructions, Virginia state law prohibits noncitizens from participating in state elections, while U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from casting ballots in federal elections.

“You may complete these forms before or during your visit to DMV. Use your full legal name on the application. Abbreviations and nicknames will not be accepted. For your convenience, you also may apply to register to vote, change your voter registration address, or indicate your desire to become an organ donor when you apply for your ID privilege card,” the Virginia DMV website’s ‘Get an Identification Privilege Card’ page read until recently.

Notably, the same page clearly states that ID privilege cards are “…a non-driving ID credential for individuals who are non-U.S. citizens and cannot meet Virginia’s legal presence requirements, making them ineligible to receive a standard or REAL ID-compliant ID card in Virginia.”

Despite the Virginia DMV’s language suggesting that noncitizens can register to vote, the Virginia Department of Elections explicitly states a “Virginia Driver Privilege card (limited-duration license, permit or special identification card)” is not an accepted form of identification for election participation.

A SERIOUS CONCERN. 

Noncitizen voters have become a serious concern heading into the 2024 election. The National Pulse has previously reported that data suggests a statistically significant number of noncitizens are casting ballots illegally in federal elections. Earlier this week it was revealed that a data entry error in Oregon allowed over 300 noncitizens to be placed on state voter rolls.

Meanwhile, murky legal language has allowed noncitizens in other states to register to vote with state-issued driver’s licenses.

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The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) appears to have clandestinely edited instructions on its government website in the past several days. The instructions suggested that noncitizens applying for an ID privilege card could register to vote when completing their application. Despite the language used in the instructions, Virginia state law prohibits noncitizens from participating in state elections, while U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from casting ballots in federal elections. show more
September 18, 2024
Christopher Tomlinson
Election 2024
Election Integrity

Biden-Harris DOJ is Trying to Intimidate Election Officials from Cleaning Up Voter Roles.

The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) is issuing new guidelines for state and local election officials regarding who can be removed from voter rolls. However, a former DOJ attorney says the move is tantamount to political intimidation and discourages election officials from effectively ensuring only eligible voters cast ballots.

“This is what I perceive as an attempt by the Department of Justice and Civil Rights Division to intimidate state and local jurisdictions and state and local election officials from doing their jobs,” said Gene Hamilton—a former attorney with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security—in a recent interview. Hamilton, who now serves as the executive director and senior counsel for America First Legal, added: “What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to chill people from actually doing the very things that are common sense.”

LAST MINUTE GUIDANCE.

On September 9, the DOJ quietly released guidance directed at state and local election workers that emphasized the purging of “voting rolls must be accomplished in compliance with federal law and in a nondiscriminatory manner.” Prior to any election, states are supposed to review their lists of eligible voters, ensuring they’re up to date and any ineligible individuals are removed.

“Ensuring that every eligible voter is able to [vote] and have that vote counted is a critical aspect of sustaining a robust democracy, and it is a top priority for the Justice Department,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement justifying the updated guidance. She added: “As we approach Election Day, it is important that states adhere to all aspects of federal law that safeguard the rights of eligible voters to remain on the active voter lists and to vote free from discrimination and intimidation.”

THREAT TO ELECTION INTEGRITY.

While the DOJ claims the guidance does not prohibit states from removing ineligible voters, including noncitizens or those who have committed voter fraud, Hamilton contends that it may still discourage states and local authorities from determining who is an eligible voter. The updated DOJ rules also bar states from removing voters from rolls within 90 days of an upcoming federal election.

In Georgia, it is estimated that as many as 47,000 noncitizens may be registered to vote after journalists revealed that 14 percent of the noncitizens they had spoken to claimed they were registered. The National Pulse reported earlier this year that 49 states are providing voter registration forms to noncitizens, who are overwhelmingly registered as Democrats.

Some states have taken action on the issue, with Texas removing a million ineligible voters from its rolls this year.

Will Upton contributed to this report. 

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The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) is issuing new guidelines for state and local election officials regarding who can be removed from voter rolls. However, a former DOJ attorney says the move is tantamount to political intimidation and discourages election officials from effectively ensuring only eligible voters cast ballots. show more
September 17, 2024
Election 2024
Election Integrity
NatSec

‘Suspicious Packages’ Sent to Election Officials Turns Out to be Flour.

Suspicious packages were distributed to election officials in at least six states on Monday. The states targeted were Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Postal Service are currently conducting an investigation into the matter.

This incident marks the second time within a year that multiple states have received suspicious packages aimed at election officials, causing disruptions during a critical voting period. The scare comes as early voting is underway in key elections, including the presidential race and various congressional and statehouse seats.

Several states identified a white powder in the envelopes sent to their election offices. Tests on the material revealed it was mostly harmless substances. In Oklahoma’s case, officials confirmed the substance to be flour. However, Wyoming has not yet disclosed the composition of the material received.

The packages prompted an evacuation of the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines, Iowa. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate indicated that their emergency protocols were immediately implemented. “We immediately reported the incident per our protocols,” Pate said following the evacuation.

Similar evacuation procedures took place in Topeka, Kansas, where both the secretary of state’s and attorney general’s offices were targeted. Topeka Fire Department says field tests showed no hazardous materials.

Previous similar incidents occurred last November, affecting several states. Some of those letters contained fentanyl.

Image by Aranami.

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Suspicious packages were distributed to election officials in at least six states on Monday. The states targeted were Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Postal Service are currently conducting an investigation into the matter. show more
September 17, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Election Integrity

‘Data Entry Issue’ Allowed Over 300 Noncitizens to Register to Vote In This U.S. State.

State government officials in Oregon are acknowledging that at least 300 noncitizens have been able to register to vote in the state since 2021. The Oregon Department of Transportation claims the illegal voter registrations were the result of a “data entry issue.”

According to state officials, of the 306 noncitizens who registered to vote, at least two cast ballots in elections after 2021. Noncitizens are prohibited from voting in both Oregon state and federal elections.

Concerningly, Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Administrator Amy Joyce says she expects state investigators to uncover more illegal registrations and potentially more instances of noncitizens casting ballots in the coming weeks. Just under half of U.S. states have some form of automatic voter registration (AVR) when an individual files for or renews a driver’s license or submits paperwork with a state government agency.

AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION ISSUES.

Oregon passed its automatic voter registration law just over a decade ago. Considered a “back-end” AVR system, when an individual files paperwork with the state, that information is sent on to state election officials who determine whether the individual is legally allowed to vote and subsequently register those eligible. Proponents of the system claim it is secure and avoids potential fraudulent registrations. However, in Oregon’s case, a simple data entry error appears to pose a significant weakness in its security.

Addressing the issue, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said those believed to have been registered in error “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote.”

Automatic voter registration has resulted in significant problems with noncitizen voters in several states. The National Pulse has previously reported on instances of fraudulent noncitizen registrations in Illinois and Pennsylvania. Even in states without AVR policies, noncitizens have been able to register and illegally vote, as shown by a federal investigation in North Carolina.

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State government officials in Oregon are acknowledging that at least 300 noncitizens have been able to register to vote in the state since 2021. The Oregon Department of Transportation claims the illegal voter registrations were the result of a "data entry issue." show more
September 13, 2024
Breaking
Election Integrity

Democrat-Controlled PA Supreme Court Rules Mail-In Ballots Require Correct Date.

The Democrat-controlled Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned a lower court’s decision regarding the necessity of correct dates on mail-in ballots. The ruling, issued Friday, mandated that mail ballots must include the correct handwritten dates to be considered valid.

Last month, a lower court ruled against discarding mail-in ballots for incorrect handwritten dates on their envelopes. However, the state’s highest court nullified this decision after an appeal from the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Pennsylvania GOP. Conservative attorney Mike Davis called the ruling a “Major win for election integrity in Pennsylvania” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The state Supreme Court’s ruling emphasized the procedural error in the original case.

“The Commonwealth Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to review the matter given the failure to name the county boards of elections of all 67 counties,” the court stated in its order on Friday.

A coalition of Democrat Party-aligned voting rights groups, represented by the ACLU and the Public Interest Law Center, presented the legal challenge. They argued that requiring a correct date on mail-in ballots imposes an unconstitutional restriction according to state law.

Meanwhile, the high court’s decision did not address the constitutional arguments put forward by the Democrat-aligned voting rights coalition. This leaves the broader question of whether date requirements infringe on state constitutional rights unresolved and will likely prompt additional legal challenges to the law.

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The Democrat-controlled Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned a lower court's decision regarding the necessity of correct dates on mail-in ballots. The ruling, issued Friday, mandated that mail ballots must include the correct handwritten dates to be considered valid. show more